


In Fine Mundi (The End of the World)

by Darkshines1984



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/F, FTWD A/U
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-28
Updated: 2016-05-09
Packaged: 2018-05-29 18:23:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 31,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6387541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Darkshines1984/pseuds/Darkshines1984
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Alicia’s new reality is a zombie apocalypse. After being separated from her family she is in real trouble until an attractive blonde stranger swoops in. Can this stranger help her return to her family? Can Alicia cope with the fact the other woman completely gets under her skin? (No soulmate stuff just two girls in a crazy world falling for each other).</p><p>I couldn't resist doing a multi chapter fic (about 5 chapters) for Lexark because it's creation was just so special. I have never seen a fandom do anything like that before. Awesome. That being said I have stuck with some of the headcannons for Elyza but not all as I wanted her to be a little less untouchable and a little more awkward than some of the overly badass ideas.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Falling Flat

**Chapter 1**

 

The world had been turned upside down and survival was now the only aim.

Getting on Strand’s yacht had been a good idea. Alicia couldn’t argue with that. It took them away from land and therefore away from the utterly terrifying zombie apocalypse that had become their new reality. However, it was only a good idea for as long as there were no mechanical issues. So of course, because life is a bitch, the damn yacht had to get some stupid engine glitch only two hours into their great escape.

They had only managed to get to Dana Point before that happened and had docked at the end of one of the marinas. There were several boats there but it couldn’t exactly be described as full. Alicia had taken that to mean that other survivors had the same idea and had abandoned dry land for the sea in hope of finding safer shores.

Once docked they had set to work repairing whatever the hell was wrong with the yacht using parts from the boat yard. Alicia had no interest in boats or how they worked and had been feeling more and more restless. She wasn’t the only one. Her mum and brother Nick had also been sat around looking bored senseless for the first hour they were docked too. So Alicia was relieved when her mum had suggested the three of them go look for some supplies nearby.

Dana Point seemed quiet and there had been no sign of any flesh eating undead in the time they had been docked. So after a little bit of hesitancy and some gentle persuasion Travis had agreed to let them go scavenge. Strand, Daniel, Travis and Chris had stayed with the yacht to work on it and poor Ophelia was still in a lot of pain after being shot so she had remained on the boat too.

They had walked down the docks in the direction of some substantial buildings, which looked like they may have some supplies in. Most of the town was divided from them by a ridge so there were few options. Even if it had been easily accessible it would have been unwise to wander to far into any settlements. They didn’t have much time either. It was already early evening and they would have to be back at the boat before it got dark.

They walked across the car park in silence and went to look for a way of entering the first building. It was some sort of restaurant and it seemed to be all locked up. Nick and their mum tried to force the front door, much to Alicia’s annoyance, as it was obviously fucking pointless. So she carried on walking around the building looking for another entrance. She found a back door which appeared to be a staff entrance but that was locked too. So Alicia moved onto the next building.

As she tried the main door to the second restaurant her mum and Nick appeared around the corner. They had obviously given in on their feeble attempts at the other door. One second everything seemed fine and completely silent and then suddenly the staff door Alicia had just tried seconds before burst open. People started pouring out of the building and into the car park. Infected people. More infected people than Alicia could count and they had divided her from her family.

“Alicia!” she heard her mum scream over the groans of the mounting threat between them.

She could see her mum trying to push forward towards her despite the danger and her brother holding her back. The infected were spreading into the space between them and heading in both directions. They couldn’t stay here and there was no way Alicia was going to be able to run through the crowd. Somehow she would have to find a way around them.

“Get back to the boat!” she yelled as loud as possible.

Her mum looked hesitant but the infected had nearly reached the two of them. Finally, as the infected were within spitting distance, Nick managed to pull her away and they started to run back from the direction they had come. Assured that her family was making a break for safety Alicia turned away from the oncoming hoard of the infected and ran behind the second building. She hoped to cut between the second and third building and run across the other side of the car park.

However, as she turned down the slip road between the two buildings she could already see the shadows of the infected emerging from around that side of the building. Alicia turned back on herself quickly before she found herself trapped between the two groups. There were infected people virtually on top of her so she picked up her pace and sprinted away past the next restaurant. She was close to the building and as she glanced back to see how far she had managed to get away from the crowd with her burst of speed she collided with one of empty bins. It sent her sprawling across the floor.

Her knee and hand instantly stung. The little distance Alicia had created disappeared rapidly as she hauled herself to her feet and tried to focus after her fall. On realising how close one of the infected had got to her she stumbled backwards, desperately trying to stay just outside of its reach. Just as she thought the bloody and half rotten man was going to succeed in grabbing her there was the loud crack of a gunshot. It happened really fast. She saw the bullet hit his head, felt his blood splatter against her vest top, arm and neck and saw it splash across the floor. Then his body fell to the floor, clattering into her legs and knocking her onto the floor again so she was sitting down.    

Alicia had no idea where the gunshot had come from until she heard scurrying above her in the one storey building. She looked up just in time to see someone hanging down from the edge of the roof before they dropped to the ground gracefully next to her. Alicia gazed up at her rescuer in a state of shock. It was a girl, not much older than herself with messy blonde hair and a rifle strapped to her left shoulder.

 “You okay hot stuff?” the blonde asked as she reached out her hand to Alicia.

The girl had a distinctive accent and Alicia knew immediately that she was Australian. Other healthy living people hadn’t proven to be much safer than the infected ones and this girl seemed oddly overconfident given the circumstances. The blonde had very selflessly stepped in and helped her so Alicia held back any biting remarks.

“Yeah” she replied, allowing the girl to grasp her hand and pull her to her feet. “Yeah I think so.”

“Good ‘cos we need to keep on moving” the blonde declared. She hadn’t let go of Alicia’s hand yet and she started tugging the young brunette away from the crowd of infected who were only a few metres away.

“I can’t” Alicia protested, glancing back over her shoulder in the direction of the docks, “My family…”

“Are running in the opposite direction with at least fifty walkers between us and them” the blonde countered.

Alicia knew the other girl was right but she still continued to drag her heels. She knew her family were running back to safety and that she needed to do the same but she was weary of going with a total stranger. Suddenly they came to a stop and the blonde swung round and raised her rifle. For a terrifying second Alicia thought she was going to shoot her but then the rifle was aimed over her shoulder at a couple of fast approaching infected. Two shots, one after the other, echoed out and the blonde threw the weapon back over her shoulder again. Alicia was again caught by surprise when a warm and slightly calloused hand cupped her cheek and forced her to look at the other girl’s face properly for the first time.

“Listen kid we need to get somewhere safe and wait out the night or we’ll just end up making up the numbers” the blonde pleaded.

Alicia didn’t miss the softer tone the Australian used on addressing her this time, nor the annoying use of the word ‘kid’ when they were virtually the same age. However, the most distracting thing by far was the piercing blue eyes she found herself staring into. They were possibly the most stunning eyes Alicia had ever seen.

“When it gets light we can go looking for your family I promise” the blonde continued to press. She glanced over Alicia’s shoulders a couple of times, clearly nervous about how close in proximity they were to the infected.

“I don’t even know you” the young brunette replied weakly. She was scared. Scared of trusting a total stranger, scared of being separated from her family forever. She had already lost Matt and seen people she’d cared about and known since she was a child die or become infected. She couldn’t lose them too.

“No and if we don’t get moving now you’ll never know another living fucking soul” the Australian pointed out.

Her tone wasn’t unkind but her words were firm and to the point. Really Alicia knew she had absolutely no choice but to go with this girl if she wanted to survive. So she nodded her assent and allowed the blonde to grasp her hand again and pull her away from the buildings and across the car park.

The infected were following but they moved slowly compared to the fast jog the blonde was insisting upon. They reached an empty road at the end of the car park which they crossed. This led them into yet another car park and what looked like more restaurants and coffee houses. Alicia’s knee ached with every step after her fall which made keeping up with the blonde hard despite the fact she was half dragging her.

“Where are we going?” Alicia husked out between deep breaths as they continued to run in the direction of these buildings.

 

“Somewhere safe” the blonde replied cryptically without looking back.

The Australian led them past the first building which was only one storey and in-between the first and second building. They came to a halt in this slip road. The second building was a two storey building but appeared to be all locked up just like the others. It was also emanating an unpleasant smell.

A quick glance over the blonde’s shoulder ensured they were out of sight of the infected. Alicia was about to ask why the hell they had stopped but then the blonde took a leap at the second building towards the back fire escape stairs. There was a ladder that had been pushed up and out of reach which the blonde grabbed and pulled down.

“Get climbing hot stuff” the other girl instructed.

Alicia thought about protesting. Obviously the blonde had been here before to know about the ladder but surely they were just running themselves into a corner? How did this girl know they would be safe?

There was scuffling just out of sight in the carpark, which meant the infected were getting nearer. Alicia understood that their chances of surviving would be increased substantially if they took shelter out of sight of the zombie like people. So without protest she grabbed the ladder and began to scurry up it as fast as possible. She was aware of the blonde climbing just behind her. They got to the first platform, an intermediary one with no entrance into the building. The Australian gestured for Alicia to keep climbing as she pulled the ladder back up. This time it was not left partially hanging down but right up to the level of the platform, well out of reach of anybody.

Alicia reached the top platform and tried the handle of the fire escape. It didn’t budge. She tried it again but there was still no movement. She was just starting to panic but then the blonde was next to her on the platform and reaching across to a sash window just next to the rail. The Australian grunted as she forced it up in a hurry.

Alisha wasn’t too concerned about climbing across the gap between the platform and the window but in her hurry to get inside before the infected saw them she mistimed it and fell head first through the window. She banged her already pained knee on the windowsill and landed in a heap on the floor with a loud grunt. The blonde was only seconds behind her but she entered far more gracefully. Alicia felt like hiding her face in embarrassment but the other woman didn’t seem to notice or care.

“Here we go home sweet home” the blonde declared as she slammed the window shut again and pulled across the curtains. It plunged them into darkness as there was no other light entering the room.

Alicia could hear the other woman moving around as she remained seated on the floor and then there was a dim light switched on. The Australian had turned on a battery powered camping light which lit up the room enough for the young brunette to take a look around.

At some point it must have been a store room but it had been virtually fully cleared out. There was an array of blankets, a mattress and a sleeping bag against one wall, a crate which appeared to be acting as a makeshift table, a camping stove which seemed to have a car battery hooked up to it and a few smaller crates against the far wall. There were also other items littered around the room that the blonde had obviously thought may come in useful. Packs of batteries, duct tape, books of crossword puzzles, magazines, a water purifier, a baseball bat which looked like it had seen battle, an assortment of tools including a brutal looking crowbar, candles, matches, tons of rope and packs of what looked like toilet roll. The blonde had certainly been stocking up.

“You’ve been living here?” Alicia asked even though the answer was obvious.

The other woman had been facing away from her whilst Alicia had taken the room in but she turned back in the brunette’s direction and nodded solemnly.

“For a few days yeah” she replied.

Alicia glanced around again. There was only evidence of one person living in the makeshift den. Only one mattress and one sleeping bag. If the other girl was alone then it would explain why she would risk her life to save another person. The blonde was obviously tough and resourceful but no one would choose to be alone during a time like this.

 “On your own?” the brunette clarified. The Australian nodded again but didn’t speak. Instead she seemed more interested in just staring at Alicia but the young brunette couldn’t translate what the stare meant. It was starting to get uncomfortable being under the girl’s silent scrutiny so Alicia pressed for some form of conversation.

“Where are your family?”

At the mention of her relatives the blonde’s glance dropped to her feet and she shuffled uncomfortably. Alicia realised she may have hit a really sore spot given the apocalyptic situation they were now living in. She had lost her boyfriend because of it and she was goddamn lucky to still have her family. Other families had been torn apart or completely destroyed. 

 “They are back home in Sydney...I hope” the Blonde replied slowly.

Alicia hadn’t given the outside world much thought since this mess had started but it seemed obvious the rest of the planet was being affected just as badly. Otherwise, surely they would have just released some sort of chemical weapon and wiped the USA off the map. The fact that hadn’t happened clearly meant that the other countries had their own epidemics too and people carrying it in from abroad was the least of their worries. It was a frightening thought. It must be even more terrifying for the other woman who may never know the fate of her family.

The room had lapsed into an uncomfortable silence as Alicia remained seated on the floor by the window. The blonde girl had turned away again and was crouched by one of the crates, clearly searching for something in its contents. Alicia regarded her from across the room. She was about an inch smaller than the brunette and curvier. She wore black skinny jeans with rips in the knees, black boots and a black leather biker jacket. The dark clothing made her wavy light blonde hair stand out more starkly. The rifle which had been slung over her shoulder when they had entered was now propped up against the crate table with the camping light on it. Alicia wondered where she had acquired the weapon and how she had become such a good shot.

The other woman found whatever it was she was looking for and stood upright again. Alisha glanced away before the girl turned so she wouldn’t be caught staring at her. The blonde was holding what looked to be first aid supplies; antiseptic wipes, gauze and tape. She gestured for Alisha to take a seat on the blankets just a couple of metres away from her current position.

“You’ve grazed your knee” she pointed out in that distinctive Australian accent.

Alicia glanced down at her sore knee, having forgotten about it briefly since landing in a heap on the floor. It was indeed grazed and bleeding. Her left palm was also slightly grazed but was only missing the top layer of skin. The young brunette shuffled across to the blankets as instructed and tried to get comfortable.

The Australian girl approached her and knelt down in front of her. She took one of the antiseptic wipes out of its packaging and began to gently dab at the bloody knee. It stung despite how careful the blonde was trying to be and Alicia hissed in pain. The other girl’s eyes glanced up apologetically before refocussing on the graze. Alicia was reminded in that brief moment how blue and captivating those eyes where. In fact, now that they were so close to each other and not in imminent danger, the young brunette could study her a little closer. This blonde saviour was actually very pretty. Stunning in fact. So pretty that Alicia felt her own heartrate increase as she stared at her.

The blonde didn’t seem to notice her attention as she was too focused on the wound on her knee. After cleaning away the blood, the other girl taped some gauze over the graze to protect it. Alicia presumed that after completing this task the blonde would move away again but instead she opened another antiseptic wipe. Alicia was about to lift her hand, presuming it was the intended target, but then was caught totally off guard when the Australian reached out and cupped her cheek with one hand and began to wipe the other side of her face with the antiseptic wipe.

“You’re covered in blood” the blonde explained, obviously sensing the sudden tension Alicia felt at the contact.

The younger girl nodded slightly and let her continue. She tried to avoid looking into the bright blue eyes which were now focused on her own face. The silence suddenly felt deafening and awkward so she said the first thing that popped to mind. Her observation from when they had first entered the building.

“It smells” she complained.

“Yeah sorry” the blonde replied, her eyes still focused on the task of removing the blood from Alicia’s face. “It was a seafood restaurant so before I boarded up the entrance from downstairs I tossed loads of the fish out of the freezers and left them to rot down there.”

Alicia looked at the girl blankly. Blue eyes met her own briefly, sensing her confusion, before glancing away again. The girl began to rip open another antiseptic wipe and clean away the blood from her arm as she replied.

“It’s not pleasant but it stops the walkers catching our scent” the blonde explained.

Alicia knew she was clever but it wasn’t the sort of thing she’d have thought to do. The Australian was obviously wired a different way from her but apparently in a way that was very suited to surviving a zombie apocalypse.

There was a brief silence whilst the blonde cleaned Alicia’s arm. Once finished she sat back on her legs and tossed the empty packages and ruined wipes into a nearby waste paper bin. The young brunette was glad of the bit of distance now between them again. The other girl had been very gentle with her and that coupled with how attractive she was had been causing Alicia’s temperature to spike. The younger girl had only ever had a boyfriend but she had always found other women attractive too. She supposed that made her bisexual. However, she had no intention of falling for some random gun happy blonde during the middle of an apocalypse. It was bound to end in misery.

The aforementioned gun happy blonde suddenly started to remove clothing right in front of her. First of all the jacket came off and was tossed aside, then she began unbuttoning the blue and yellow plaid shirt she wore underneath. Alicia was sure her eyes were going to pop out of her head even though the girl appeared to be wearing a flimsy grey vest top beneath the shirt.

“Your top is ruined” the blonde explained as she took the garment off and handed it in her direction; “put this on.”

Alicia felt the tension in her shoulders ease when she realised what was going on. The Australian girl may have failed to crack a single smile so far but she did seem considerate and caring. The young brunette accepted the shirt off her and as soon as it was in her hands the blonde turned away to give her some sort of privacy to change.

Alicia removed her vest top and put it in the waste paper bin. It was covered in blood splatter down the one side and she was surprised she had managed to wear it for nearly ten minutes without noticing the extent of its grossness. As she began to put on the shirt and button it up Alicia noticed the other girl had grabbed two candles from her supplies and was positioning them slightly away from the bedding but on the floor. The candles were both green and as soon as the blonde lit them with one of the matches she could smell something fruity wafting in the air. Alicia couldn’t help but smile at the fact the Australian was trying to mask the smell of rotten fish for her.

“Thank you.”

Alicia was specifically talking about the warm shirt she had been given to wear but it also encompassed the candles, the safe house and the fact the girl had saved her. The brunette hadn’t been very grateful when it was all happening because she had been terrified at being split from her mum and Nick but she was exceedingly grateful for the girl’s heroic intervention.

The Australian turned back to her and regarded her for a few seconds before nodding again. Alicia wondered if she had always been this much hard work to converse with or if she had just been on her own for too long since all this shit had kicked off. The blonde was seriously stoic considering she could be no older than twenty. She’d seemed so over confident as she had swept in to rescue her and so brash.

Suddenly it hit the brunette that they didn’t even know each other’s names. There hadn’t been time for pleasantries in the car park by the docks and since they had been in the other girl’s bolt hole she had been too distracted by her surroundings and the Australian’s pretty face to introduce herself.

“I’m Alicia Clark” she announced, reaching her hand out to the blonde. The other girl glanced at the hand like it was a foreign object but reached for it anyway. One surprisingly firm hand shake later the blonde let go and pulled her hand back. Alicia found it odd that when taking care of her wound and bloodied face the girl had been gentle and unperturbed by touching her yet suddenly seemed awkward and formal.

“Elyza” the Australian introduced herself.

Alicia thought it was a pretty name which suited the blonde just fine. It wasn’t a common name and the only Eliza that the brunette could think of off the top of her head was the character Audrey Hepburn played in My Fair Lady. She’d loved musicals as a child and Nick had hated them. He’d always tried to watch things their parents wouldn’t approve of and traumatise her in the process. Now she felt like she was living in one of those films.

“Don’t you have a surname?” she asked the blonde. It was out of curiosity really but she’d found it odd that after giving her full name the other girl hadn’t done the same.

“Does it matter?” Elyza replied sharply. “It’s not like you can hop on your phone and Google me or add me on fucking Facebook.”

Alicia was caught off guard by the sudden shift in the blonde’s attitude. It wasn’t like she was prying into her life story by asking what her stupid surname was. Like she really cared anyway.

“Whatever” she snapped back. The teenager in her reared its head and she shuffled back away from the Australian so she had her back to the wall, pulling one of the blankets over her legs and up to chest level as she moved. The other woman at least looked a little ashamed of her outburst and glanced uneasily down at the ground before climbing to her feet again and putting some more space between them.

The blonde started rustling around the crates over the other side of the room again but Alicia was actively trying to pay as little attention to her as possible now. Instead she stared at the flickering flame of the nearest citrus candle and wondered why an earth anyone would be reluctant to tell someone their last name. The brunette highly doubted she had found herself shacked up with Australia’s most wanted so what was Elyza’s fucking problem?

“Bacon mac and cheese or chicken and waffles?” the blonde asked, breaking the tense silence that had fallen between the two of them. As the younger girl had been avoiding watching Elyza she had no idea what she was going on about.

“What?” Alicia snapped irritably in response.

 “Chips” the blonde replied smoothly as she turned around holding two large packets of Lays. She also had two bottles of water tucked under her left arm.

The offer of food caught Alicia off guard. She had been silently raging at the other woman for being rude but then here the blonde was taking care of her again. It seemed Eliza was going to be a mixing bowl of contradictions. Cocky when in action, quiet and distant when one on one. Apparently a very private person but also deeply caring. Now that her leather coat had been shed and Alicia was paying attention she also couldn’t help but the attractive blonde was also very toned. She could see defined muscles in the Australian’s upper arms even from across the room. The younger woman’s breath caught in her throat even though she really didn’t want to be thinking about the stoic blonde in that way.

“Oh” the brunette replied awkwardly, “the mac and cheese I guess.”

“Good choice” Elyza replied.

The blonde tossed the pack of chicken and waffles back into the crate and approached the bedding that Alicia was sat upon. Elyza sat herself down on the bedding too; close enough for Alicia to feel her body heat but not close enough to be in actual physical contact with the brunette. She passed Alicia a bottle of water and ripped open the pack of chips, placing the bag in the small gap between their thighs.

Alicia reached into the packet and took a large handful of chips as Elyza opened the cap of her bottle and took a couple of large mouthfuls of the liquid. The young brunette caught herself staring at the Australian again so quickly glanced away. She could feel the other girl’s eyes on her seconds later though so she glanced back.

“Lex” the blonde mumbled as they made eye contact again.

Alicia didn’t understand what she meant. What was Lex? The confusion must have been evident on her face because Elyza took a deep breath before clarifying what the significance of the single word was.

“Elyza Lex” the other woman said a little clearer. She gave Alicia a nod as she spoke which the brunette took as a silent apology for the earlier outburst.

The younger woman felt like the temperature had risen in the room and all she could think of to do in response was smile sweetly at the blonde. To her surprise, the Australian responded in kind and smiled back at her, dipping her head as she did so to try and mask the blush that was rising on her cheeks. Alicia had spotted the pink tinge to the other girl’s cheeks though and it made her blush too. Perhaps Eliza wasn’t quite so indifferent after all.

They ate the bag of chips between them in silence but it was the comfortable sort of silence.

 

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 **Hope you enjoyed the first chapter. Feedback is always appreciated and in this instance would be helpful going forward with the fic. Ta guys x**  

 


	2. Chapter 2

**In Fine Mundi (The End of the World)**

 

 **Fandom:** Fear the Walking Dead/ The 100

 **Pairing:** Alicia Clark  & Elyza Lex

 **Rating:** M

 **Summary:** Alicia’s new reality is a zombie apocalypse. After being separated from her family she is in real trouble until an attractive blonde stranger swoops in. Can this stranger help her return to her family? Can Alicia cope with the fact the other woman completely gets under her skin? (No soulmate stuff just two girls in a crazy world falling for each other).

 

llllllllllllllllllllllllllllll

**Chapter 2**

 

The silence had lasted for the entire time they had shared the packet of chips. Alicia had eaten her share of them slowly as they were a bit of an unusual flavour. They had filled a hole though and she now felt full and a little sleepy. There had been the odd awkward moment when she had accidently brushed hands with Elyza as they had both reached for the packet at the same time but on the whole it had been comfortable.

Alicia had tried to keep herself distracted from thinking about her family by taking the room in more detail than before. She thought it might tell her more about the stranger she was now reliant upon for at least the night. Other than the fact she seemed resourceful and was probably quite intelligent from her choice of reading materials Alicia could get no clearer a picture. Scattered on the floor at the foot of the mattress were various magazines but she could only see the top two.  One was a copy of Scientific America and the other National Geographic. It wasn’t exactly light reading.

Elyza stood slowly and stretched her arms above her and then out to the side. The blonde crunched her neck from left to right, her back turned to Alicia. The younger girl found her eyes instantly drawn to the blonde’s figure. Elyza was only wearing a vest top so as she flexed Alicia could see her shoulder muscles rippling under the thin material. The evening air was getting cooler and the skin on the Australian’s arms was beginning to goose pimple though she showed no other signs of feeling chilled.

There was a faint sound from outside as the blonde finished stretching. It was so faint that it was unrecognisable but it caught Elyza’s attention. She made her way over to the window and pulled the curtain back ever so slightly. There was no sign of fear or panic in her body language so Alicia remained seated and continued to observe the blonde. The Australian was stood at a right angle to the window and sideways on to Alicia so the younger woman could see her facial expressions as she peered through the small gap she had made.

There was another noise from the service street just below the window, this time much louder, like a metal bin being knocked to the tarmac. The sound made Alicia jump but the blonde barely reacted apart from a slight flicker across her facial expression that the younger woman couldn’t interpret.

“What was that?” she blurted, fear getting the better of her.

“It’s getting dark” the Australian replied, her attention still focused on the street outside. “There will be walkers swarming all over the place now.”

That was the second time Elyza had used that word to describe the infected. Alicia wondered where she had picked it up from and why she didn’t just call them Zombies like every other teenager would. Not that Alicia had been keen to call them that either as it still seemed too far-fetched despite it being her new reality. Calling them Zombies felt like stepping inside a bad arcade game or a Resident Evil movie.

“Why do you call them walkers?” she asked the blonde. There was a curiosity about the answer but she was just as interested in being distracted from the proximity of the noises outside.

Elyza finally turned away from the window, pulling the curtain shut. She then lent back against the wall next to the window and stuffed her hands in her jean pockets. For a few moments the blonde just looked back at her. There was a stillness about her the eluded confidence but also an intensity in her gaze that made Alicia’s cheeks heat up. She was in limbo between liking the way the other woman was gazing at her but also finding it a bit intimidating.

“’Cos that’s all they do” the Australian shrugged. “They just walk around haphazardly looking for prey. Have you ever seen one break in to a run?”

Alicia cringed at the memory of their long-time family friend and neighbour Susan following her and grabbing her. She had moved slowly and had then just lingered behind the fence looking at them like food. It was like she had no capacity to think through the problem and climb over the fence. Susan had just been a hungry walking corpse. It was bad enough seeing random people in that state but seeing someone you had known since you were a small child reduced to something so grotesque had been heart wrenching and sickening.

“No” she finally replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

Elyza was obviously aware of Alicia’s discomfort and she shifted awkwardly from foot to foot, her gaze now directed down at the floor. The brunette still couldn’t work the other woman out. She seemed quite socially awkward now they were alone together and clearly didn’t know how to react to Alicia’s sudden discomfort. Yet only an hour before she had been leaping off buildings, blowing ‘walkers’ brains out with a rifle and swaggering around with confidence. It was a strange comfort zone for someone so young.

In fact, it had been a strange place for someone to be chilling out with a rifle. It hadn’t really crossed Alicia’s mind before as she’d been preoccupied with her near brush with death…or living death.

“Why were you on the roof earlier when you rescued me?” she asked the blonde.

Elyza looked up from the floor again but remained stood rigidly still with her back against the wall. Alicia wondered if she should just be grateful the girl rescued her and leave her alone. She didn’t exactly seem comfortably with conversation. The young brunette wasn’t good at not talking though, especially when nervous. It wasn’t like she had any battery left in her I-phone anymore. If she did, then it would have been easier to just stick her headphones in and relax to music. At least that way she wouldn’t hear the sounds outside either.

“I was at the front when I saw your flash yacht heading in to dock” Elyza replied casually. “People can be just as fucked up as the walkers now it’s all about survival of the fittest. I climbed up there to spy on you from a distance in case you tampered with my boat.”

Alicia wasn’t sure how she’d react in a similar situation but she doubted she’d go climbing on the roof of the local bar and grill. It was probably the sort of thing Chris would do though. He’d spent at least half his time on the roof of Alicia’s house whilst they had been blockaded in by the army.

“Your boat?” she inquired.

It had taken a few moments for this piece of information to stick but when it did it caught the brunette by surprise. If her family was still in Australia, then how did such a young woman own a boat? If she worked on the boats, then why hadn’t she left already?

“Well its somebody else’s boat which I acquired and have been making sea worthy” the Australian explained. “The walkers don’t seem to like the hot daytime sun so I thought heading down into Central America may be a good idea.”

Apparently the blonde had the same idea as Strand and Travis although for a different reason. Alicia hadn’t really considered the infected habits before but when she thought about it they had been more active at night. Travis had told them about the soldiers trying to clear out a library infested by the ‘walkers’ and Alicia had seen them hiding inside a building during the day first hand.

“That’s why they were in the restaurant? Keeping out of the sun?”

It was a rhetorical question as the blonde had already answered it within her explanation. The idea of the walking dead nesting in buildings was unnerving. Alicia had seen several of the infected walking around during the day so obviously they weren’t like the mythological vampires. So if they could come out in the day why nest in buildings?

“Yeah I guess it must be some sort of self-preservation instinct because dead flesh rots quicker in the heat right?” Elyza surmised.

The brunette cringed at the notion of these ‘people’ just walking around gradually decaying away. Was that how you were meant to survive a zombie apocalypse? Just keep staying alive until all the infected just rotted into the ground? Was it really possible to just stay alive that long? Was it even worth it? Shouldn’t life be about more than just surviving?

If Alicia had her family, then it would give her something to survive for at least for now. Yet currently they were separated and it wasn’t really clear if she’d ever find her way back to them. Elyza had promised to help her try tomorrow in the light of day but if they had presumed her dead then they may well have left without her. It was a sickening thought but she wouldn’t blame them. It was a pity Elyza hadn’t slid to the rescue sooner before they had been divided by tens of the infected. The Australian must have sat there and watched them, letting it all happen before deciding to get involved and save Alicia.

“Did you know they were in there when you saw us approach?” she demanded from the stoic blonde.

“I knew there could be walkers in the buildings yeah” Elyza responded instantly and a touch defensively. “I didn’t expect you guys to start rattling handles and trying to break down doors though.”

Alicia understood that people were as much a threat as the infected but they were clearly unarmed and clueless. She felt a mixture of irritation with the other woman for not at least calling out to them to warn them and frustration with herself for being so stupid. This girl was barely older than her but so worldly and cool. Alicia’s only effective weapon was her sass and that wouldn’t see her far. No, she needed Elyza Lex even if she was still a little unsure of her.

“We didn’t know” Alicia muttered.

Her line of questioning and irked response seemed to get the blonde’s heckles up. The other woman stood up straighter and removed her hands from her pockets. Alicia wondered if it was a guilty conscious that made her tense or the opposite and she wasn’t impressed with being shouldered with the blame.

“How have you survived for so long but remained so ignorant?” the Australian exclaimed.

Although the words were harsh it wasn’t said in a cruel way. The blonde just sounded frustrated which made her a little sharp. Alicia gave her a sideways glare although it didn’t really irritate her that much. She was secretly a little pleased she had managed to draw a reaction from the other girl.

“We were living in an enclosed part of the city guarded by the military” she answered honestly.

It had been easy albeit boring for days and days before it went to shit. It was no wonder her and her family were soft compared to Elyza. It seemed like she had lived under constant threat and on constant alert since the outbreak started.

“So why the fuck did you leave?” the Australian asked dryly. The blonde was obviously wondering why the hell someone would leave a guarded community and plunge out into an apocalypse. She could be forgiven for not understanding after all she was Australian. She was unlikely to have had much contact with the American military.

“They were going to kill us all” Alicia explained.

Elyza’s bright blue eyes widened in surprise. The brunette had presumed she would have to explain further but the other woman didn’t ask for any clarification. Instead a flash of compassion danced across the blonde’s features and the tension seemed to drop out of her shoulders. Alicia waited for her to comment but instead the blonde turned towards the window again and peered out into the street.

Elyza was stood sideways on again so Alicia tried to subtly watch her without getting caught. The Australian looked taken aback by Alicia’s revelation and the young brunette was sure she’d turned away to give herself a moment to compose herself away from Alicia’s direct gaze.

The blonde only gazed out of the window for about half a minute before closing the curtain over again and stepping into the room towards Alicia. The brunette was surprised when the Australian girl came right over, kicking of her boots as she moved. She then slid down the wall and sat next to Alicia. It was exactly where the other girl had sat whilst they shared the chips. Alicia watched with interest as Elyza seemed entranced by the candles flickering near their feet. Her hands were restless in her lap as she fiddled with her own fingers. Alicia wondered what she was thinking about.

 

She wasn’t even sure why she was so curious about the blonde. Other than rescuing her and a couple of kind but awkward moments Elyza had been had to read or even like for that matter. The girl was attractive sure, more so than average, but Alicia had seen plenty of attractive women and not gave them a second glance. Elyza, although quiet, seemed to have a bit of substance about her. She was smart enough to survive on her own so far and seemed to be planning to survive not just on a day to day basis but for the long term. Alicia found herself wanting to know more about her.

“So how did you end up here in Dana Point?” she struck up the conversation again. She hoped they would be on safer ground with this conversation and that she might actually be able to engage the blonde and get to know her a bit.

Elyza turned her head to look at her and Alicia’s breath caught in her throat. The other girls face was close to her own and those bright blue eyes felt like they were burning a hole in her own. Though the blonde’s face remained passive there was a storm of emotion swirling in her azure orbs. Elyza wanted to talk to her and wanted to trust her but there as uncertainty there. The most breath-taking part of her expression though was that the girl seemed equally lost in Alicia’s own green eyes.

The brunette watched her expression alter to one of determination and she saw her gulp out of the corner of her eye. Her hands stilled, flat palms pressing down against her thighs, and then she spoke.

“I came to America to study” the Australian began to open up.

This perked Alicia’s interest immediately. She’d already figured out the girl was bright but had no idea what kind of subject she would be studying. Something scientific maybe if her choice of reading was anything to go by?

“Studying what?” she pressed gently. The blonde hadn’t broken eye contact with her yet and a slight smile crept across the girl’s face. Even the tiniest hint of a smile made her face light up and Alicia’s own lips quirked upwards in an automatic response.

“Mechanical Engineering at Berkeley” Elyza responded, her smile broadening a touch further as she spoke.

Alicia hadn’t expected the answer although in hindsight the blonde had said earlier that she was fixing a boat up. That should have given her a clue that the girl was mechanically minded. A brief image of the Australian leaning over the hood of a car with oil smeared across her muscular arms and vest top flashed through her mind. She quickly pushed the slightly explicit image down and focused on the other half of the answer.

“I’d just got a place at Berkeley before all this started” Alicia bubbled.

For some reason it made her happy that she could have met Elyza in normal circumstances. It made the blonde less of a mythical heroic yet misunderstood character and more like just any another teenager or young adult. Elyza felt like a huge painting by numbers portrait that had been completely blank, but now she was starting to fill at least one of the colours in.

“Berkeley is pretty far from Dana Point” Alicia pointed out. It was the same state sure but San Diego was a fair old distance away.

Blue eyes which had remained totally focused on Alicia throughout the conversation so far darted down to the blonde’s lap. Alicia knew instantly her question had made the other girl uncomfortable but before she could try to retract it Elyza began to answer it.

“One of my friends invited me and another girl to come stay with his family for the weekend” the Australian’s voice quavered as she spoke. “They all went out to the market on the Sunday morning and never came back.”

Alicia wondered if one of the girls was something more to Elyza than a friend. Even if they were just friends as a foreign student those relationships were the closest she’d have to family in this country. Alicia understood loss. She had lost family friends to this epidemic and she had lost the person she cared about and perhaps even loved at least a little. She was young and accepted young love could be fickle. He may not have been the person she was destined to end up with or whatever but he was important to her. Having had the blonde open up even just slightly to her Alicia felt she should return the first hints of trust.  

“I had a boyfriend called Matt” she disclosed, her voice barely above a whisper. “He’s gone now too.”

The Australian’s eyes darted back up and although Alicia was looking straight ahead she could sense the blonde’s gaze.

“That’s really fucking rough” Elyza said sympathetically.

Alicia dared to turn her head again so she was looking back at the blonde. The compassionate look the other girl was aiming at her made her gulp down a sob. She could feel tears burning at the back of her eyes but she forced them not to fall. Matt had been a topic avoided by her family ever since it had happened. She hadn’t really let herself mourn him yet but now wasn’t the time. Perhaps there never would be a right time and it would always be an open wound until one of the infected finally took a chunk out of her.

“You should sleep” Elyza broke in. “You can take the bed…I can literally sleep anywhere.”

It was only about ten o’clock which was earlier than she usually went to sleep. She was really tired though which probably didn’t help her emotional state. They had tried to sleep on the boat but the motion of it had made it hard for her to rest peacefully. Apparently she looked tired enough for the Australian to notice. Or perhaps the other girl was just uncomfortable with where the conversation had gone and was hoping Alicia would shut up and go to sleep so she could have some peace for a bit. Not that it was a peaceful environment when the odd groan and clatter could sporadically be heard from outside reminding Alicia of what was lurking out there.

“I’m not sure I can knowing they are right outside” she admitted weakly.

As the words left her mouth she felt a bit pathetic and hoped Elyza wouldn’t think of her so. Or at least it the blonde did then she’d at least chose not to comment. So she was pleasantly surprised and a little moved by the girl’s response.

“You’re safe” Elyza promised her; tone gentle. “I wake at the slightest sound and I’m gonna be right here between you and them all night.”

It wasn’t just her tone that was gentle. The expression on the Australian’s face was now the softest Alicia had seen. It wasn’t only her eyes but her entire facial expression. It soothed Alicia and did indeed make her feel safer.

Alicia nodded in affirmation and crawled across the blankets to the mattress. She kicked off her own shoes by the side of the mattress and climbed into the open sleeping bag. As she zipped it up and got comfy the blonde crawled across the blankets to the crate acting as a table and picked up the automatic rifle and the camping light. Alicia watched as the other girl crawled back to the wall and sat down again virtually right next to the mattress. She placed the camping torch on her left so it was between them and the gun on the floor to her right. It was lined up so she could pick it up in an instant and fire. Apparently the blonde was going to sleep sitting up just so Alicia felt safe enough to sleep herself. 

“I’ll leave the candles burning so we have a little light and turn the torch off” Elyza explained as she wrapped a blanket around herself. “If you wake up and its dark you can just reach out and turn the light on again okay?”

The Australian was being so sweet now and it made something in Alicia’s chest flutter. Little steps. Number by number. More colours were being added and the picture was coming to life. Alicia was starting to get the impression that despite her initial doubts it was going to be a stunning portrait.

“Thank you” Alicia murmured.

Elyza smiled again and then turned the light out. Due to the two lit candles it didn’t plunge the room into total darkness but left a soft glow in the room. Alicia lay on her left side and could just about make out the blonde’s features in the dark in front of her. It was comforting that she could still see her.

She tried closing her eyes and resting but despite how tired she was the brunette instantly felt tense at no longer being able to see the other woman. Alicia knew that if she could find a way to assure herself that Elyza was still right there she would fall straight to sleep. So she rather daringly crept her left hand out of the sleeping bag and across the small gap between them, leaving it resting against the side of the blonde’s blanket covered thigh.

Alicia could see that the other girl’s eyes had drifted down to her hand but it was too dark to try and make out what she was thinking. To her surprise the blonde slid her own left hand down from her lap and grasped Alicia’s, gently entwining their hands together. Her hand was surprisingly warm and slightly calloused at the base of her fingers. Alicia liked the way it felt in her own hand and the contact instantly made her feel relaxed again. She closed her eyes and let herself completely settle into the mattress.

Elyza’s thumb softly brushed against her hand and it began to lull Alicia steadily towards sleep. Just as she was drifting off she felt the blonde inch slightly closer and without having to open her eyes she knew the girl was watching her just like she had gazed at her earlier.

“I promise I’ll get you back to your family Alicia Clark” Elyza whispered softly in her husky Australian accent. It was the first time the blonde had used her name and it sounded glorious.

It was the last thing Alicia heard before she drifted off to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

 

_Leaves crunched under her feet as she made her way through the garden maze. She was trying to run but the walkway was thin and the corners sharp right angles so all she could manage was a mixture between a fast walk and a jog. Occasionally as she tried to take too much speed into the turns she was collide with the steel frame or knock various hanging baskets and plant pots down as she went._

_For all the noise she made in her attempts to flee it didn’t cover the sound of leaves being dragged behind her; from feet which scuffed unevenly across the ground rather than lifted in normal footfalls. Then there were the groans. They didn’t sound like any noise she had ever heard or expected to hear her pursuer make._

_Then suddenly she was being pulled backwards against the frame by her hair. She’d been grabbed through one of the gaps in the frame. Alicia wriggled, pulled, kicked and trashed until the grip was released and stumbled forward. Suddenly it didn’t matter how hard she was bouncing of the sides of the maze as she moved…she needed to hurry the fuck up._

_Bursting out from the end of the maze she leapt onto the fence dividing the two back gardens. As she straddled it she felt her leg being grasped and pulled back towards thee direction she had just came. The brunette clung to the fence with an iron grip and kicked at her attacker, screaming for help from her family. It was no good though, the grip on her leg was too strong. With one final sharp pull she found herself being dragged back down into her neighbour’s garden._

 

Alicia jolted awake just as she hit the ground in her dream.

 

For a moment she had no idea where she was or what was happening. She was only aware that she felt pinned in by something, she was covered in sweat and it was dark. Then a warm hand grasped her own flailing hand, grounding her despite still not being sure where she was or who she was with.

“You’re okay” a husky Australian voice assured her. “It was just a dream.”

Elyza Lex. The events of the past few days all came flooding back to her. The infected, the boat, getting separated from her mum and Nick, being rescued…how easy it could have been for her to meet the fate she had been having a nightmare about.

“It really wasn’t a dream” she snapped at the blonde.

Alicia felt guilty instantly. She hadn’t meant to sound quite so rude but she was still reeling from the nightmare. If her tone bothered Elyza the other girl didn’t comment and it was too dark now that the candles had burnt out to pick out more than the blonde’s outline. Alicia did notice that the other girl still had hold of her hand despite her poor manners.

Now she understood that the constricted feeling was the sleeping bag she was lying in she was able to slowly sit up and shuffle towards the wall so she was sat mimicking Elyza’s pose. It was only once she was comfortable and her breathing had slowed to normal that the Australian spoke again.

“What was it about?”

Alicia felt blindsided by the question. So far in their limited interaction she had been the one to drive conversation. Elyza had showed no interest in asking her anything about herself until now. Alicia didn’t know whether to be irritated by her prying or touched by her concern. In the end she felt a strange balance of the two which was completely confusing. The young brunette’s mouth seemed to have a mind of its own and began spilling the details despite her conflicted mind.

“The woman who lived next door to us, I’ve known her since I was a child. She used to look after me and my brother Nick when we were kids...”

Alicia’s mouth went dry as she spoke and she stopped to clear her throat. It was hard talking about it. Her family hadn’t really discussed what was going on, they had tried to carry on like things were normal when clearly the world was falling apart. Since they had escaped onto the boat and Travis had been forced to mercy kill his ex-wife they had all been in a state of a shock. Alicia was still in a state of shock.

“She became infected?” the Australian prompted after she had been silent for a while.

Alicia nodded, glad that Elyza didn’t use any crude terms like zombie of ‘walker’ when talking about Susan. She could make out the blonde’s outline a little clearer now her eyes had adjusted to the dark and could see the other girl was watching her. They were still holding hands, something Alicia had forgotten about until Elyza began to brush her thumb against her knuckles in a soothing circular motion. The gentle caress gave the brunette the strength to carry on describing the bad dream.

“She chased me across the garden and grabbed my leg when I was trying to get over the fence” the brunette continued. “In my nightmare I didn’t manage to escape.”

The blonde remained silent but her thumb continued to draw comforting patterns on Alicia’s hand. The younger woman was nervous that the silence was a sign the blonde thought she was being silly and cowardly having nightmares about being chased. Elyza had been supper cool when dealing with the walkers. Like someone from an action movie. Alicia probably sounded pathetic to her.

“I know its lame but it was horrible seeing her like that” she defended herself.

The blonde sighed audibly and released her hand. Alicia instantly felt its loss and was again guilty for snapping at the other woman. The loss was only temporary though as Elyza picked up the hand again, this time with her right hand which reached across her body. The left hand which had previously been grasping Alicia’s moved to the brunette’s forearm and traced patterns through the sleeve of the shirt Elyza had lent to her.

“It’s not lame Alicia” the Australian soothed.

Her voice was low and husky but also distant sounding; like she was lost deep in thought. Alicia wondered if the other woman even realised what she was doing with her hands. Alicia certainly knew about it. The fingers moving against her lower arm and wrist was leaving trails of heat in their wake despite the fabric barrier. The younger woman closed her eyes and let herself get lost in the moment.

“I had a girlfriend back in Sydney when I was sixteen. Things happened in her life that she had no control over and she seemed to spiral down lower and lower really fucking quickly…”

Elyza’s distinctive accent permeated the silence. Low and husky like when she had comforted her but it held a great deal of sadness and it cracked as she swore. Alicia understood instantly that the other woman was disclosing something very personal. Her breath caught in her throat as she waited for the blonde to continue.

“She hung herself early in the morning at the tree in the park where we used to meet” Elyza remembered sadly; “I found her there a few hours later.”

Alicia really wished they still had some candle light so she could see the blonde to comfort her. Perhaps it was the safety of the darkness that had allowed the stoic Australian to be so open with her. She didn’t know what to say other than ‘I’m sorry’ but that sounded stupid. Knowing Matt had undoubtedly changed into one of those things outside hurt but she knew it would have hurt ten times more to have seen him actually change and figuratively die. She automatically gripped Elyza’s right hand a bit tighter.

“I try not to think of it but you can’t control where your mind goes when you sleep.”

Alicia appreciated the blonde telling her about her own bad dreams. It did make her feel less self-conscious about waking up in a sweat which was obviously the other woman’s intention. The young brunette couldn’t help but think that Elyza’s reason for nightmares was far greater than her own. She’d seen CSI on the television. She knew what sort of things started happening to a body after it had been strung up for a while. It must have been a horrific sight to witness for anyone never mind a 16-year-old.

“Nightmares are not lame Alicia but running half way across the world to put them behind you…” Elyza snorted condescendingly at herself as she spoke.

“Sometimes the only way to move forward is to make a fresh start and not look back” Alicia countered. She felt the need to defend the other woman from her own disdain. She couldn’t imagine what she’d have done in the same situation but Alicia didn’t think the blonde was lame. The fact the blonde was so resilient even after something so terrible happened showed great strength of character.

The other girl shifted in the dark so that she was holding the brunette’s hand in her left again, like they had been whilst Alicia had been sleeping. The movement had taken Elyza a little further away again than she had been after Alicia had awoken from her bad dream. 

“You should try to go back to sleep” the Australian advised.

“I don’t know if I can” Alicia sighed.

She was tired. She really was. The idea of closing her eyes and risking slipping back into a nightmare made her anxious. Knowing the blonde would be there to sooth her if she did have another bad dream gave some comfort but she didn’t want to keep waking the other girl up all night either. Presuming she had woken her up.

“Have you slept?” the brunette asked her quiet companion.

“A little” Elyza hummed.

The fact she had slept at all whilst sitting against a wall was a minor miracle. Alicia had let her at first because she was scared because of the walkers outside. It had been hours though and there was no sign of anyone trying to enter the building. The brunette was feeling safer in the environment now.

“There is enough room for both of us on here if you bring a blanket” Alicia pointed out. She tapped the mattress with her free hand as she spoke to emphasise her point.

Alicia felt the blonde tense slightly through their clasped hands and wondered if it had been a mistake to ask. She didn’t mean anything by it really, she just wanted the security of having the blonde close and the other girl needed to sleep too. Her fears were pushed aside when Elyza let go of her hand and began to shift towards her.

Alicia shuffled back to the far side of the mattress to give the other girl space. She couldn’t see it but she heard the blonde place the rifle on the floor next to mattress before lying down next to Alicia and pulling a blanket over her. They were shoulder to shoulder and Alicia could instantly feel some body heat permeating through the sleeping back. It felt nice and it felt comfortable even if the other woman was a little tense.

“Are you okay?” Alicia checked. The last thing she wanted was for the other girl to feel so awkward that she failed to sleep.

“Yeah” the blonde husked, “Thank you.”

It was silly for Elyza to be thanking her when it was the other girl’s bed they were sharing. It was also gracious and a little bit adorable. It was with those thoughts swirling around her mind that Alicia drifted off to sleep again.

 

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The next time Alicia woke was at much more a leisurely pace. It was still very dull in the room but another light was creeping in through the edges of the curtains to provide a little illumination. It was enough illumination to clearly see the finer details of Elyza Lex’s face which was only a hairs breath away from her own. At some point in the night they had turned onto their sides to face each other and snaked their arms over each-others sides. Alicia was really warm due to the fact she was in a sleeping bag and had managed to creep under part of the other girl’s fleece blanket.

Elyza was still asleep and looked serenely peaceful. It gave the brunette the chance to take her in and admire her without risk of being seen. Her blonde hair was literally the colour of the sun and a little unkempt and frizzy. Alicia bet that after a shower and brush running through it then it would look amazing. Pity they didn’t have any of those luxuries. Elyza’s skin was lightly tanned and utterly flawless. Her jaw line was well defined and there was a graze there on the right side of her face which had been hidden by her hair when standing up. Alicia felt the urge to reach out and sooth it with her fingers but managed to resist. The blonde really was stunning and that was without even opening her eyes. Alicia remembered them clearly from the day before. The eyes were the best feature.

As if on cue Elyza’s eyes opened and too quickly for Alicia to look away. She had been caught staring at the other girl whilst she slept. The blonde quirked an eyebrow and smiled which made heat rise to Alicia’s cheeks. Despite being embarrassed she didn’t look away. If Elyza wasn’t immediately removing herself from their accidental embrace, then why should she?

“Did I wake you?” she wondered.

“I could feel you looking at me” the blonde admitted.

The other girl was trying to suppress a smirk but it still reached her lips. Alicia felt herself blushing all over again and she glanced down to avoid eye contact. Down was a view of the Australian’s ample cleavage so Alicia’s looked up very quickly again, blushing further.

“You’re very beautiful” she blurted out.

If her face wasn’t bright red before her mouth had decided to reveal what her mind was thinking, then it certainly was afterwards. Alicia was about to bolt of the mattress but then the hand attached to the arm that Elyza had flung across her ribs began tracing slow pattern against her sleeping bag covered back. It was the lightest of touches due to the thick barrier between them but it was intimate and soothing. It both caught Alicia off guard and eased her blushes.

“So are you hot stuff” the Australian responded after a brief and awkward silence.

Alicia instantly started blushing again. Elyza had edged her compliment in humour but her expression had been genuine. There was also the slightest tinge of pink in the other girl’s cheeks which suggested that despite her confident demeanour the blonde was nervous too. Elyza’s blue eyes suddenly felt too intense for Alicia to continue staring at. The feelings that the other girl was eliciting in her, despite being in their infancy, were surprisingly strong. The only way to quell the fluttering feeling in her chest was to look away so she ducked her head and buried it into the blonde’s neck and shoulder.

Somehow cuddling into the Australian further left her feeling a little less exposed. Elyza didn’t react at first but then as Alicia settled against her the other woman tightened her grip around the brunette’s body and drew her in closer. Only the width of the sleeping bag remained between them. The blonde continued to be very tactile and traced figure of eight patters across Alicia’s lower back. The action was so soothing the brunette felt her eyes begin to flutter closed.

“You are also very warm and comfortable but if we are going to find your family we need to get moving” Elyza sighed.

Alicia knew the other girl was right. If they didn’t go searching for her mum and co now her family would start to presume she was dead. They would be worried enough already but if she didn’t return once it was light those fears would be answered. That being said she was still unenthusiastic about leaving Elyza Lex’s arms. It was the most peaceful she’d felt in days but in an apocalyptic world peaceful things couldn’t last.

“Yeah come on” she mumbled as she reluctantly disentangled herself from the blonde.

 

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Alicia was pleasantly surprised to find there was a small bathroom just off the room. It only contained a toilet and a sink but there was running water and she was able to have a wash. The blonde had stocked it up with deodorants, toothpaste, toothbrushes, mouthwash, soap and wet wipes. In fact, there was a box full of stuff in the corner she had obviously raided from a store.

After freshening up and scrubbing her teeth for about five minutes straight Alicia emerged to find the blonde on her hands and knees. There was a loose floorboard that Elyza had lifted out and was obviously using as a secret store. Alicia stood and watched as the other girl lifted two small cardboard boxes out of the space and placed them on the floor. The brunette stepped further into the room so she was stood next to the Australian. In the space under the floor there were other similar small boxes and a blanket that seemed to be wrapped around something long and thin. It looked suspiciously like another rifle; perhaps more than one.

Elyza smiled at her as she approached but then continued to focus on the box in front of her. She opened it up and drew out a couple of boxes on ammunition for her rifle, placing them into the pockets of her leather jacket. She then drew out a hand gun and a couple of clips of ammunition from the other box. The gun she stuffed down the back of her jeans and the two spare clips were placed into her left rear pocket of her jeans.

“You have an armoury” Alicia commented.

“I caught on to what was happening earlier than others and raided the gun store” the blonde replied.

The younger brunette wasn’t sure what to make of how blasé the other girl was being. Obviously guns were useful given the situation but Elyza literally had raided the store. There were at least ten other boxes under the boards. Presuming they all contained guns and ammunition the blonde had enough firepower to arm a small militia. How the hell had she even managed to transport them from the store to the restaurant?

“Dare I ask why you are so comfortable with guns?” Alicia inquired.

As she spoke the blonde lifted another handgun out of the box and offered it to her. Alicia shook her head and other girl retracted the weapon. Perhaps one day she’d be prepared to start shooting the infected but she wasn’t ready yet. She was also probably more of a danger to herself than those wanting to attack her.

“You’re American” Elyza responded dryly, “may I ask why you are not?!”

Alicia rolled her eyes. Most American’s did not fit into the stereotype of having a double cheeseburger in one hand and a gun in the other. Her mom had always been strictly against firearms and so was Travis. Alicia had never even held one, never mind fired one. The blonde seemed to sense her discomfort and after she placed the boxes back in their hiding place she looked up at the brunette and smiled kindly.

“I lived with my parents in the city but my grandad had a ranch out in the country” the Australian explained as she moved towards the window and looked out onto the street again. “We used to stay there in the summer and he’d teach me how to throw knives and shoot tin cans off fences.”

 

It explained why Elyza had such a good aim when she had fired the first shot from the roof top the day before. Shooting tin cans was one thing though…shooting something ‘living’ was another concept entirely.

“That’s not the same as shooting people” the brunette pointed out.

“No but you still point it in the right direction and pull the trigger” Elyza countered quickly. “We do what we need to survive.”

As surprised as the brunette was that Elyza could be so calm about using guns against something that was once a living human being, she also understood that a gun could easily mean the difference between life and death. She was a little envious that the blonde could bury any emotion and act like a badass. It was a skill Alicia would probably have to learn if she was going to reach her next birthday.

If the Australian was so singularly set on living through this mess, then she was breaking form to help Alicia. The brunette was becoming more and more aware of that fact. By allowing Alicia access to her hideout and letting the younger girl see her stash of supplies the blonde was risking everything she’d built since the breakout of the infection.

“Why are you helping me?” Alicia fretted. “I mean…you’ve been surviving by being self-sufficient. So why risk that for me?”

“Sometimes our survival instinct is strengthened by having something to survive for…” Elyza responded, her voice husky, deep and barely above a whisper.

Alicia had been looking down at the floor as the blonde spoke but when her voice trailed off at the end of the sentence the younger girl looked up to find Elyza was no longer looking out of the window. The other girl was looking straight at Alicia like she was something precious. The Australian wasn’t finished yet though.

“My family is thousands of miles away and there is nothing I can do about that” Elyza concluded: “but I can make sure you are not separated from yours.”

Alicia was struck by the blonde’s words. She was also struck by the realisation that she cared about the other girl enough already to want her to be included in that family. Would the other girl want to come with her and her family if they could find them?

“There are no walkers in sight” Elyza stated, effectively killing the conversation. “We should get moving.”


	4. Chapter 4

_**Thanks to all those who have read, given kudos and commented so far. I said in the summery this story would be about 5 chapters long. I lied. Make that more like 10!** _

 

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**Chapter 4**

 

If it wasn’t for the ghost town feel to Dana Point, then it could be any pleasant sunny day. It was eerily quiet though as it had been the day before when Alicia had started to explore the docks with her mom and brother. She remembered in vivid detail how that had had went. Alicia had no intention of getting complacent. Not that it would be easy to forget they were in danger in the open with Elyza Lex creeping along on red alert in front of her, rifle in hand, and grasping the brunette’s hand in the other.

Alicia hadn’t noticed the other girl was left handed until starting their journey back to the front. It worked out rather well for them as Alicia was right handed. This meant her good hand was free to carry the baseball bat that she’d been handed after turning down carrying a gun. Elyza had given it to her so she felt safer. In truth Alicia felt far safer holding the blonde’s hand then she did wielding the makeshift club.

They had only just left the blonde’s den and were slowly making their way across the carpark they had ran through the night before. Elyza was still only wearing her vest top due to the warm sun but her leather jacket was stuffed inside the rucksack she had slung over her right shoulder. There was an array of other items in the bag that Alicia had glimpsed. The Australian was nothing if not thorough and it looked like she had a whole survival kit in there. Everything from an emergency first aid kit, food, water, and foil blanket to rope and other bits and pieces.

Alicia had offered to carry the backpack for her in an attempt to be useful but the other girl had just smiled and shook her head. It was probably a good thing as there was no way Alicia was as strong as Elyza and would have probably been struggling under the weight of it just getting down the emergency stairwell. Still she had felt she should look willing and offer.

When they reached the main road and the other restaurant buildings came in to site Alicia abruptly stopped. It was so Mk abruptly  that Elyza tumbled backwards a step before righting herself. Alicia had pushed the attack out of her mind for most of the night but now faced with passing so close to the location again she felt a sudden burst of nervousness. The blonde looked taken aback at nearly having her shoulder ripped out of its socket but as soon as she turned to look at the younger woman her face softened.

“You okay hot stuff?” the blonde asked kindly.

‘Hot stuff’ seemed to be Elzya’s pet name for her. From anyone else Alicia would probably find it annoying but from the other girl it was mildly endearing, especially with her Ozzie accent. It didn’t distract the brunette from the buildings looming ahead though.

 “Do we have to go past the restaurants again?” Alicia asked.

The Australian looked around, a light grimace on her face, as she considered their options. Alicia thought the scrunched up expression made the blonde look adorable.

“We could walk down the road a bit and then cut down on to the docks but it’s a lot more exposed” Elyza conceded.

The older girl didn’t look very comfortable with the idea but was obviously willing to go along with it for Alicia’s sake. The brunette wondered if she should just allow Elyza to lead her the way the other girl had originally intended. She seemed to know and understand the lay of the land better than Alicia did after all. Having seen so many walkers pouring out of those building not twenty-four hours before she just really wasn’t keen to get close to them again.

Elyza seemed to accept that the decision was made and began steering them to the right and down the road without crossing it yet. As they made their way down the sidewalk Alicia started to understand what the other girl meant about it being more exposed. It was quite a wide road and was visible not only from the left where the restaurants and docks where but also from the top of the small cliff face to the right where the rest of the town lay. They could easily attract the attention of someone or something. Elyza kept them moving quickly and seemed on high alert. Alicia could feel the Australian’s tension through their adjoined hands.

Once they had made their way a couple of hundred yards down the road Elyza directed them across the road and onto the sidewalk on the opposite side. There was a road on their left leading down onto the docks, just after the bus stop a few yards ahead. Just as they reached the corner of the road there was a terrible groan from just around the corner and Alicia could hear the sound of someone shuffling awkwardly in their direction. The building on the corner obscured their view of whatever was coming although it was obviously a ‘walker’.

Alicia’s whole body froze and she went rigid despite knowing the blonde was armed and dangerous. Even Elyza slammed to a halt but she didn’t stay still for long. Suddenly Alicia felt herself being dragged backwards in the direction they just came. The bus stop they had passed was of an old fashioned wooden design, covered completely on three sides. Elyza guided them into the hut and pressed the young brunette into the corner. Alicia’s back was against the wooden boards with the blonde stood in front of her facing her, their hands still interlocked.

Alicia didn’t understand why they were hiding when the blonde was perfectly capable of irradiating the threat with one shot. She pointed at the rifle that was currently slung over the other girl’s shoulder but the blonde shook her head.

“Too much noise” the Australian whispered.

Alicia knew she was right. If she fired the rifle they could attract tons more of the infected to their location. The blonde could only use the gun in a dire emergency. This situation wasn’t that desperate yet. If the walker stayed on the sidewalk then it wouldn’t see them, but if it came on to the road they would be in full view. That was presuming it wouldn’t sniff them out anyway. The other girl used rotting fish to disguise their scent in the den but there was nothing masking it out here.

“Elyza” the young brunette gasped in panic.

Elyza gripped her hand a little firmer and brought her free hand between them, pressing her forefinger against the younger girl’s lips.

“Shhhhh” the blonde hissed.

The action brought Elyza a step forward and completely into Alicia’s personal space. The older girls arm and chest was pressed against her front and her right hip was pressed into the brunette’s. Elyza kept her finger delicately pressed against the younger girl’s lip. The shuffling sound of a limping walk crept closer and closer until it sounded like it was right behind them on the other side of the wooden boards. The walker came to a stop there before letting out a strangled groan. Alicia’s whole body jerked in fear but the blonde was quick to sooth her by resting her forehead against the brunette’s.

The Australian’s warm breath tickled her cheek and she could feel her heartbeat racing. It wasn’t quite as fast as her own but it was still quick. Despite the danger lurking only a thin barrier away the contact was distracting. Elyza was warm and a really pleasant mixture between soft curves and hard muscles. Alicia had been trying not to develop feelings for the other girl since the second she met her but she was fighting a losing battle. Every point of contact between them now felt red hot especially the finger resting against her lips. Without conscious thought Alicia pressed and puckered her lips more firmly against the pad of the blonde’s finger in a lingering kiss.

Elyza let out a raspy gasp at the intimate act and pulled her head back a little so their foreheads were no longer touching; just enough to make eye contact. What were normally bright blue eyes seemed suddenly darker and held a look of pure desire. Alicia felt her heart rate race even more under the intense stare. The blonde tilted her head slightly as her gaze fell from the younger girl’s eyes to her lips. Alicia was sure she was about to replace her finger with her own lips and the brunette would have welcomed it despite the situation they found themselves in. Unfortunately fate intervened.

The walker groaned loudly again and began to move. It wasn’t clear if it had heard or sensed their presence but it was moving around the side of the shelter which meant it would come into sight any second. Elzya was stood bolt upright in an instant and the blonde thrust the rifle into Alicia’s free hand. The brunette was dazed and didn’t understand why she was being given the gun until Elyza grabbed the baseball bat out of her other hand. The Australian turned to face the danger and readied herself like someone was about to pitch at her. When the disfigured walking body of a middle aged man appeared into view the blonde launched into action.

Elyza’s swing was impressive for an Australian who was probably more adept to handling a cricket bat than a baseball bat. In fact, she swung it so hard that Alicia could actually see the walkers face cave as it struck and he stumbled backwards at least two metres. He didn’t quite hit the floor but was knocked off balance. He slowly began to rise to his feet again with what looked rather disgustingly like brain matter mixing with the blood streaming down what remained of his face. He hadn’t fully stood up again before Elyza landed the next blow, this time to the side of his head. It did a similar amount of damage as the first hit but this time the walker did go fully to the ground. The blonde didn’t seem to be taking any chances though and she followed it up with another four or five blows once he was on the ground until there was so much damage done to his head and neck that even a walker was never going to survive the injuries.

Throughout the whole thing Alicia hadn’t been able to look away even though the sight made her pretty sick to the stomach. Once Elyza was confident the walker was totally unmoving she turned back to Alicia. There was blood splattered all up the front of her vest top and up her left arm, a few flecks of which has been thrown up high enough to land on her chin. The brunette was relieved to see that despite the fact the Australian had been ruthless in her attack she clearly took no pleasure in it. Alicia could see in her eyes that she was disturbed by it even though her body language was one of confidence. She suspected that was for her sake.

Alicia was rooted to the spot until the blonde reached out and took the rifle back, slinging it back over her shoulder. She than passed the brunette the baseball bat. Alicia looked down at the surprisingly deadly weapon and cringed. It was covered in blood and god knows what else.

“Gross” Alicia muttered.

Elyza looked down at the bat apologetically and reached out to take it back. The brunette shook her head and pulled it out of reach. She didn’t want the other girl to feel guilty about protecting them and if she was going to survive in this new apocalyptic world then getting used to a bit of gore was a must. The blonde still looked guilty though and very dishevelled. Alicia hoped in all those supplies back at the den there was a change of clothes or two because the grey vest top was now totally ruined.

“Come here” she instructed.

Elyza looked confused but took a small step forward as asked. Alicia reached up with her free hand and cupped the blonde’s face, using her thumb to wipe away the blood that had splashed up onto the older girl’s chin. Elyza’s eyes slammed shut immediately as she stilled under the gentle touch and took a ragged breath. The blonde’s strained breathing slowed and eased as Alicia continued to remove the mess. After she had finished she dropped her hand away from the other girl's face and wiped the blood from her finger onto part of Elyza’s vest top at rib level that had been untouched from the splatter. The Australian twitched slightly like the action tickled her but didn’t say anything.

When the blonde opened her eyes again there was a sadness held in the depths of blue that Alicia didn’t understand. She wanted to ask what was up but Elyza was already grasping her hand again and leading them out of the bus shelter. They continued back towards the road to the docks with the blonde on even higher alert than before. Alicia tried to remain as focused as the blonde but because she felt safe with the other girl her mind kept wandering back to that moment in the shelter. They had nearly kissed. She was sure it wasn’t her imagination. Alicia just wished she understood what that meant for them.

The brunette continued to quietly mull over what had just happened as well as her family as they walked down the road. Luckily there were no more run ins with anything unsavoury. They turned right when they reached the front and into an area she recognised as the docks they had moored at the day before. There were still several boats moored there and it wasn’t until they walked a hundred yards down the docks that her worst fears were realised. Her feet seemed to stop working and she crashed to a stop again, her knees nearly buckling. Elyza was pulled to a halt due to their joined hands and instantly knew something was wrong. The blonde slung the rifle over her shoulder and put an arm around her waist to steady the younger woman.

“Are you okay?” the Australian asked.

“The yacht’s gone” Alicia stammered.

Her stomach lurched and she felt like she might be physically sick at any second. They had presumed she was dead and left without her. They hadn’t even tried to wait until morning because they thought there was no chance that she would be able to survive on her own. Part of her wanted to blame the blonde for not letting her try to get back to them the night before but she knew she would be dead for sure had she risked it. There was no point trying to take it out on Elyza especially when she was all she had left. Like the blonde Alicia would probably never see her family again.

“Fuck” she gasped as her chest started to constrict painfully. She was falling very quickly towards a panic attack.

Alicia was vaguely aware of the blonde dropping her rifle and backpack on the ground before prising the baseball bat from the brunette. Elyza cupped her face with her left hand and pressed Alicia’s left hand against the blonde’s chest with her right.

“Hey hey look at me” the Australian instructed as she tilted the brunette’s chin up. “Alicia please look at me and try to follow my breathing.”

The younger girl opened her eyes and looked straight into Elyza’s, trying to find comfort in the sea of blue she had become so enraptured with. She could feel the blonde taking deep and slow breaths underneath her fingertips and like instructed she tried to follow that pattern. At first the only thing she could focus on was Elyza Lex as the rest of the world seemed to spin around her. Eventually her own breathing slowed to match the other woman and their surroundings came back into sharp focus.

 “You said they were heading to Mexico right?” the Australian asked once Alicia’s breathing had evened out.

The brunette nodded in affirmation. Strand had said Mexico was their best bet. They had left her behind to go to an entirely different country.

“Well my boat is virtually ready to go so we can load it up with supplies and follow them” Elyza assured the younger girl. “If they have any sense they will be following the coast line so we’ll just follow it too.”

Alicia had to take a moment to let that information slip in. She knew that the blonde was aiming to get out to sea anyway but she was rushing it along for Alicia’s sake. When Elyza had promised to get her back to her family as she drifted off to sleep the night before the brunette had never dreamed that would mean at any cost. It was hard to completely take in how lucky she was to have met the blonde. 

“Me and you?” she clarified needlessly.

“Yeah” the blonde chuckled. “I know you were probably hoping to find your family and get rid of me but…”

“No!” Alicia cut in quickly. “No, I hoped you would come with us.”

The smile that danced across Elyza’s features in response was dazzling and genuine. She really seemed surprised that Alicia had wanted her to come with them.

It struck the brunette as odd that the older girl thought she would want rid of her. They had spent most of the previous twelve hours in some sort of physical contact with each other. The had held hands whilst Alicia slept and then curled up in bed together. They had held hands ever since leaving the den to steadily make their way to the docks. They had come close to kissing albeit at a very inappropriate time. They were now stood on the docks with Alicia’s hand still pressed to the blonde’s chest and Elyza was still cupping her cheek. The Australian had to have some serious insecurities hidden under that bravado if she thought Alicia was going to let her go for a second. It wasn’t a conversation for now but the younger girl hoped they would address it at some point.

“There’s a jeep hidden in that garage” the blonde spoke up, cutting into Alicia’s contemplations.  “Let’s take it back to my humble abode and load it up.”

As Elyza stepped away and picked up their stuff from the floor Alicia was left to marvel again at how much thought and planning the other girl had put into all this survival lark.

 

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The road was still quiet as they drove back to the den. By foot it had taken over ten minutes to reach the dock but by car the journey back literally took two minutes. Elyza had cut the engine in the car park and cruised into the service road between the bar and grill and restaurant buildings. Once in the den the blonde had prioritised the boxes of supplies into piles of the most important, the semi important and the least important in case they didn’t have time to load everything. Whilst the blonde set about this task Alicia packed the things left out around the room like the blankets and the camping light etc into one of the spare crates. The blonde had changed into another vest top to which pleased Alicia as the older girl no longer looked like she’d been part of a bloodbath.

It was physically hard work moving it all. Elyza had pulled the extra wooden panelling she had nailed onto the locked door and opened it up so they didn’t have to pass the crates out the window. Even with this shortcut they still had to move all the crates and boxes down the first ladder and onto the first platform before finally shifting them down onto ground level. Elyza had to pass them down the ladder and Alicia guide them safely to the floor and pile them up. The most dangerous part was the time spent moving the gear into the back seat and trunk of the jeep. It took about five minutes but that entire time they were in danger of attack from both walkers and other survivors. There was also a risk of their supplies being looted.  Luck seemed to be on their side though and they didn’t see another dead or living soul as they worked.

“Is that everything?” Alicia asked breathlessly as Elyza pushed what seemed to be the last box of ammo into one of the spaces. The jeep looked like someone had played Tetris in it and it was a good job there was no real need to use the rear view mirror as it was packed roof high.

Elyza nodded and started closing the back passenger door and the trunk of the jeep with as little noise as possible. Once they were closed she stopped and wiped the sweat of her brow with the palm of her hand. It was pretty hot now the mid-morning sun was beating down and Alicia was dripping with sweat too. She couldn’t remember having ever done so much manual labour and certainly not in such a rush.

“I’m amazed we have managed to get all of it packed without interruption” the blonde admitted. As they made their way to the front passenger door. Elyza’s rifle and bag where in the foot well of the seat and they had a bottle of water they had been sharing as they worked. Alicia opened the bottle and took a couple of big gulps before handing it to Elyza. The blonde drank the last dregs of the bottle and tossed it into the trash can that sat just under the fire escape stairwell. It made a slight sound but there also seemed to be another more distant noise at the same time. It was hard to identify straight away until it happened again. It was the sound of a door banging either shut or against a wall. It was coming from in front of them and around the side of the building next to Elyza’s den.

“You were saying?” the brunette burst out. Her mum had always told her it was dangerous to speak to soon and here was the proof of it. The Australian rolled her eyes in response.

“They must have heard me closing the trunk” Elyza muttered as she grabbed the rifle from the foot well.

Two walkers appeared around the corner just in front of them and more disturbingly four appeared behind them meaning they were hemmed in. Although the ones behind them were quite a distance away still. Alicia had been silently praying for just one of them to appear so Elyza could beat it into a pulp and they could be on their way. However, the blonde couldn’t take on six at the same time and Alicia didn’t have anything obvious to hand to help try and fight with. Her baseball bat was currently under a pile of boxes in the trunk. The only solution was obvious although not ideal.

Elyza stalked around to in front of the car and waited until the two bloody and disfigured people got within a few metres of her and opened fire. One shot to the head took the walker to the right down straight away but it took two shots to bring the other one down. That meant a total of three very loud bangs rang out and echoed between the buildings.

The effect of this noise was instant and more walkers poured into the street to the front of the car. Their exit was now blocked by six hungry looking zombies.  

“I really should have thought on and stole a silencer too” Elyza growled.  

Considering the other girl had thought of practically everything else Alicia couldn’t believe the blonde had overlooked something that obvious either.

“Can you drive?” The Australian asked as the six walkers in front of them noticed their presence and began to move in their direction.

“Legally no” Alicia responded with a hint of panic in her voice, “practically yes.”

 “I only really give a flying fuck about the practical part right now hot stuff” the blonde replied coolly.

Elyza tossed Alicia the keys and the younger girl scrambled over the passenger seat and into the driver’s side of the car. Elyza was a couple of inches shorter than her and Alicia had disproportionately long legs so the driving position was cramped and uncomfortable. Somehow she couldn’t imagine the blonde being impressed if she wasted time altering it though so she would have to make do.

Whilst she got herself into position and turned the engine on Elyza remained at the front of the car and managed to pick three of the walkers off with three very accurate shots. The blonde really was the epitome of cool under pressure. However, she was out of ammo and as soon as the engine roared into life the blonde bolted back to the passenger side and threw herself in. As the older girl slammed the door shut she managed to deposit the rifle safely by her feet and retrieve the pistol from the back of her jeans in one fluid movement.

“Stick your foot down and keep it down” the blonde commanded as she opened the passenger window.

Alicia did as ordered and slammed her foot down on the accelerator causing the jeep to lurch forward surprisingly quickly for a four by four. As soon as they were moving the Australian began to empty the hand gun’s clip of ammo into the approaching infected; her aim surprisingly good considering she was now having to use her right hand. It didn’t have the instant effect of the large calibre rifle but the bullets caused enough damage to prevent the walkers being able to focus on grabbing onto the vehicle as Alicia slammed into them. Instead there was the sickening sound of bone crunching and breaking against the front of the jeep as two of the walkers were thrown backwards and to the side of the jeep. Even worse was the sound of one of them bashing up and over the top of the jeep, luckily just missing the window shield as they were thrown into the air.

Alicia’s face must have paled because as soon as they were into the open car park and she was able to slow to a more reasonable speed Elyza placed her hand on the younger woman’s knee.

“You okay?” she checked. The blonde didn’t hide the concern in her tone and Alicia found it endearing despite the context.

“Yeah I will be” the younger girl replied honestly.

She may well replay the horrendous sound effects in her mind for a while but she was starting to accept that the infected were no longer ‘there’ or really human anymore. If she was going to survive it wouldn’t be the last time she’d have to do something violent towards them. At least she’d shown the unflappable Elyza Lex that she wasn’t completely useless in a crisis. Although she had some way to go before she could match some the blonde in her survival skills.

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Slightly shorter one this time x

**Chapter 5**

 

The drive to the dock had been quiet. Alicia had been focused on safely getting them to their destination. She’d drove a car twice before this when Travis had been trying to bond with her and it had been in an empty car park. Despite the fact the roads were empty being in control of the vehicle still made her nervous. Whilst she drove Elyza reloaded the rifle and handgun with ammo from her backpack. The blonde was twitchier than Alicia had previously seen her. She was trying very hard to hide it but Alicia could feel the tension in her body language from across the car, never mind see it in the other girl’s face.

“It’s the sixth boat down” Elyza instructed as they pulled onto the dock slip road.

Alicia counted the vessels as she drove and pulled up at the end of the small wooden pier which led to the blonde’s appropriated boat. It was a surprisingly large yacht, the equivalent size to Strand’s, although not as brand spanking new as the millionaires was. If she’d had any doubts that all Elyza’s stockpile of supplies would fit on board they were now eradicated.

“We need to shift this stuff quickly because we’ve probably woken up a shit storm of walkers” the Australian cautioned.

There was no sign of any unwanted guests for as far as the eye could see. They had certainly awoken a number of the infected at the other end of the docks and it was inevitable some of them would wander in this direction. Alicia only hoped it wasn’t any time soon.

They began unpacking the jeep again. The young brunette’s arms still burnt from loading the vehicle in a hurry in the first place so she was battling against the pain barrier whilst loading the supplies on to the deck of the yacht. That didn’t stop them moving quickly though and they had all the boxes and crates on board within minutes.  

They were stood by the jeep retrieving the blonde’s backpack when Alicia saw something moving out of the corner of her eye. She focused her stare down the dock in that direction. For a second the brunette didn’t see anything of note but then there was movement again. This time she was able to identify what exactly it was.

“Walkers” she choked out.

Elyza turned her body in the direction the younger girl was looking. There were several of the infected moving slowly in their direction but they were still some way down the dock. They hadn’t even reached the first boat yet so although disturbed to see them the brunette wasn’t too panicked.

“Get on the yacht” the Australian instructed, thrusting the bag into Alicia’s hands as she spoke.

The younger girl turned and started walking to the boat, expecting Elyza to be right behind her. After a few steps she realised the blonde wasn’t following and was in fact moving in the opposite direction. Alicia turned and watched in a mixture of horror and confusion as the other girl jogged across the slip road and over to the garage the jeep had previously been hidden in.

“Where the fuck are you going?” Alicia yelled after her.

The blonde ignored her calls and continued on with whatever the hell she was doing. Alicia quickly made her way to the end of the wooden dock and sprung onto the boat. Looking back, she tried to figure out why the hell the other girl was delaying their escape. The walkers were now passing the second boat which was still quite far down the dock. It was still only less than a minute away though even at their stilted pace. 

Elyza had opened the door whilst Alicia’s back had been turned and had disappeared into the garage. Within a few seconds the blonde came back into view carrying two large jerry cans. They looked really heavy and the Australian was clearly struggling with the load. It was clearly fuel and therefore important. Alicia now understood why the other girl was taking such a risk but understanding it didn’t stop the panic rising. At the slow speed Elyza was moving there was a high chance the blonde would get caught by the approaching infected.

Alicia was more of a thinker than a fighter and she had been terrified on every occasion she had been confronted by any of the infected. This time she felt fear yes but it wasn’t an all-encompassing feeling that left her barely able to function. Instead she just felt a sense of determination that they were going to survive. Perhaps the earlier incident which had led to her driving over the top of three of them had given her confidence or perhaps it was fear of losing Elyza. Whatever the cause she found herself leaping back onto the dock and running towards the older girl.

“Alicia get back on the fucking yacht!” the Australian bawled at her.

Alicia paid no attention to the instruction and continued sprinting to the blonde who was now just on the near side of the road. When she reached Elyza she grasped the other girls lower arm with her left hand, supporting some of the weight of the can to the blonde’s weaker right side. Alicia was walking backwards so she could see the oncoming threat. Even with her help the nearest two of the infected were getting awfully close. It was time for Alicia to repay the earlier heroics from the Australian and take action.

The brunette reached around the back of Elyza and retrieved the handgun from the back of the other girl’s jeans. She had never fired a gun but she’d seen enough television to know how it was done. She pushed the button down so it was no longer in safety mode and took aim at the first of the approaching walkers. The first shot she attempted flew past the right side of the disfigured woman’s face so she corrected her aim slightly to the left and fired again. This shot hit its mark and the bullet lodged in the woman’s skull but the walker kept on moving. Alicia could feel the wood of the pier under her feet and was relieved that they were closing in on the yacht. She could hear Elyza groaning under the strain of carrying the two cans at the same time over quite a distance.

The younger girl fired on the infected female again and again she hit her in the temple. This time the walker did fall down to the ground. The second of the approaching infected was a burly man with his right arm half hanging off him. Alicia could literally see part of his upper arm bone and the shoulder joint was exposed.  She fired two shots in quick succession at him. One hit him in jaw causing a huge amount of damage and the second hit his neck. Blood poured out of the neck wound and it slowed him but didn’t completely halt the walker.

They had reached the yacht now and Elyza managed to stumble onto the yacht with both cans still in hand. Alicia jumped on after her but turned back to the male walker straight away, firing another three shots into his chest. He fell on to the wooden pier right by the boat and wriggled like he was trying to rise to his feet again but couldn’t. She tried to shoot him again but the trigger just clicked in her hand because she had emptied the clip. The blonde grasped the weapon out of her hand and removed the empty clip.

“You’re doing great” Elyza encouraged her as she reloaded the gun with the spare clip from her back pocket.

The young brunette was surprised when the Australian pressed the weapon back into her hand and faltered for a couple of seconds. It wasn’t until she registered that the blonde was untying them from their mooring on the pier that Alicia realised that she had no idea how to even steer a bot yet alone start its engine up. Elyza had to be the one to do that so she had to keep the walkers at bay.

There were at least eight oncoming walkers but only one of them was close enough to be of an issue so she began to fire on him. He was slightly further away than her previous targets so she missed him twice before managing to hit him in the face. It knocked him backwards and off his feet but he instantly started to stand up again.

“Hold on” the blonde suddenly yelled from the front of the yacht.

Alicia grabbed the rail of the boat as the engine roared into life. The blonde was careful as she manoeuvred them away from the mooring which gave some of the walkers the chance to reach the edge of the dock. There was a couple of metres of water between the boat and the wooden boards and Alicia doubted the infected could jump or swim. So what happened next totally horrified her and caught her off guard.

The walkers began to step of the dock and into the water like they were stepping from a side walk and onto the road. They made no attempt to swim and began to sink down into the water. It was clear though that they were not drowning. They didn’t have to breathe to survive so being in the water did not harm them. They could survive in the water. The idea of it was terrifying. If her family and the other’s had stayed close to shore last night to wait for her they would have presumed themselves safe from the infected. Anything could have happened to them.

The yacht lurched forward quickly now they were clear of the pier, nearly throwing the brunette into the water with the infected because in her shock she had loosened her grip on the railing. Now they were moving at speed there was no chance of the walkers catching them but that didn’t remove the uneasy feeling setting in Alicia’s stomach. She wasn’t sure how long she stood there staring back at the dock. It was quite a distance away when the brunette felt a warm body press into the back of hers and the older girl’s chin rested on her right shoulder.  

“Elyza did you see that?” she asked as the other girl grasped the pistol out of her hand and tossed it onto the nearest crate.

“Yeah I did” the Australian replied softly, in little more than a whisper against her ear.

Elyza grasped the brunette’s left hand and entwined their fingers together. The blonde’s other hand wrapped around the brunette’s ribs and her palm came to rest on the younger girl’s stomach. Alicia could feel the warmth of the other girl’s touch seeping through the shirt. Elyza pressed her forehead between the brunette’s shoulder blades and just rested it there. They stood in silence as Alicia continued to watch the docks at Dana Point become smaller and more distant. She knew the blonde was trying to give her comfort and the warmth and tenderness the Australian was emitting did something to ground her. It could do little to ease her fears though.

“What if my family didn’t leave?” Alicia fretted. “What if they stayed close to the shore thinking they were safe there overnight and…?”

As she spoke Alicia wriggled and turned in the blonde’s arms so she could wrap her arms around the older girl and bury her head against a strong shoulder. It had been comforting lying in the same position first thing in the morning and she needed that physical comfort again. Elyza had begun to release her when she first wriggled but then had understood she wanted more contact and not less. Now as Alicia grasped at the fabric at the back of the older girl’s vest top the blonde held her close with a strong arm around her waist. The other hand was buried in the brunette’s hair and fingertips carefully massaged at her scalp just behind her right ear.

“The ocean is relatively still so If something bad had happened then the boat would still be floating about or there would be signs of a wreckage” the blonde reassured her. “Everything is going to be okay Alicia.”

The younger girl had no other choice but believe her companion. She needed to believe that they could still find her family and she had to admit that what Elyza was saying did make sense. Surely the walkers wouldn’t be able to tear a boat apart and even if they did there would be evidence. The water by the docks had been clear of debris or fuel. Alicia wasn’t convinced that everything was going to be okay like the blonde was trying to assure her but she did have hope. She also had Elyza Lex and that seemed very important despite knowing the blonde for less than twenty-four hours.

“Why don’t you take the crate of clothing downstairs, take a wash and get changed” the Australian encouraged. “You can even rest for a bit if you want?”

Getting out of the grimy, sweat dampened clothing she had slept in and spent the morning lugging boxes around in was appealing. She released her hold of the blonde and took a small step back so there was a little air between them. Elyza was looking at her with concerned bright blue eyes. The concerned look eased a little when Alicia nodded in agreement.

The younger girl doubted she’d be able to sleep in the day despite her physical exertions but sitting down and doing nothing for a bit would be nice. There was a reluctance to go down below deck on her own though despite it being obvious it was just the two of them on the boat. If Elyza couldn’t act as her safety net because the older girl had to stay on deck, then Alicia was taking something else with her to ease her fears. It wasn’t going to be a damn baseball bat.

The brunette picked up the hand gun from the crate Elyza had thrown it on to and removed the empty clip from it like she had watched the blonde do earlier. There was ammo in the backpack and Alicia retrieved the box and began to try and reload the clip. The spring load mechanism made it awkward when she barely knew what she was doing but the Australian stepped forward and quietly helped her. Alicia didn’t dare make eye contact but she could see that the concerned expression had been resurrected across the blonde’s features out of the corner of her eye.

Once they had finished reloading the clip and Alicia had put it back in the hand gun Elyza grasped her free hand. The brunette expected a lecture or some sort of conversation but instead the other girl lifted their adjoined hands to her lips and placed a soft kiss against Alicia’s knuckles. The younger girl hummed at the contact, surprised by how much warmth pooled in her stomach over such a simple gesture.

“Your safe here with me” Elzya whispered a promise. Then the blonde was releasing her hand and disappearing up the steps and to the front of the yacht again.

 Alicia looked at the weapon in her hand and shook her head. She would do what she needed to survive but she wouldn’t let fear drive her. Elyza was right. They were safe on the boat. She placed the gun back onto the crate it had previously rested on and found the box of clothing to carry down instead. The brunette hoped the other girl would see it still sat on deck and understand the trust Alicia was willing to put in her.

 

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Alicia had been pleased to find that the lower deck had plenty of amenities. There was a kitchen and small dining area, a living room and a bedroom leading to a fully fitted bathroom. It was a tight space but it contained an all-important shower. Alicia had no idea how much fresh water they had on board or if it was somehow filtered from the ocean so she had only allowed herself five minutes to wash her hair and body quickly. She had removed the gauze from her knee that covered her graze from the day before. It wasn’t infected and was beginning to heal but it stung like hell when soap got in it.

She had dried herself and dressed in a pair of drawstring jogging shorts and a vest top. Elyza was slightly broader than her so the clothes were a little loose but they were clean and comfortable. The brunette had left her hair wrapped in a towel for a bit and lay down on top of the bed. She hadn’t slept but she did allow herself twenty minutes to rest her eyes and let some of the day’s tension drain away.

After twenty minutes’ rest she was feeling a bit more rested so she got up and brushed her hair. It was fairly dry now and would dry much quicker up on deck under the early afternoon sun. As she stepped out of the bedroom Alicia was surprised to find the rest of the crates and boxes stacked in the living room area. She felt guilty that the blonde had moved them all on her own. They had suffered an equally hard day and whilst she had rested, Elyza’s had continued. She headed upstairs to seek out the Australian.

When she reached the deck the blonde wasn’t in immediate view so Alicia climbed up the stairs that led to the front of the boat where the navigation equipment lay. She saw a figure in her periphery vision as she reached the top step.

“Hey you didn’t have to move all those boxes down on your own I’d have…” she started to say before trailing of in shock. Her body stopped moving when her mouth did and she froze in place at the top of the stairs.

Elyza was sat on the bench by the steering wheel of the boat wearing her shorts, a bra and a pair of sunglasses. The older girl had her arms stretched out across the side rail of the boat which extenuated further what the lilac and black floral patterned bra was already pushing up rather effectively. Her blonde hair was shining in the sunlight which gave her an ethereal look. Alicia had been aware of her beauty since first seeing her but the Australian looked fucking stunning now and hot…definitely hot.

“Oh wow” Alicia blurted out.

The two words spilled out before she could stop them and she instantly tried to cover the blush rising on her face by fixing the front of her hair with the hand that wasn’t clutching the top rail of the steps. Elyza pushed the sunglasses up onto the top of her head and her eyes lit up as a cocky smile plastered her face.

“Do I need to put my top back on so your teenage mind can function properly again?” the blonde boasted.

Alicia rolled her eyes and willed her legs to start moving again. It would probably be helpful for her sanity if the Australian was covered up a bit more but she was perfectly fine with the amount of skin on show and Elyza was clearly enjoying the attention.

“My teenage mind can function just fine thank you” she retorted. “I’m sure you wouldn’t flaunt yourself in front of me if you didn’t want me to enjoy the view.”

Elyza barked out a laugh at her sharp response and stretched out further against the railings. The blonde’s blue eyes seemed to twinkle in the bright sunlight and Alicia had to take a deep breath to regain enough composure to move forward towards the other girl. Her legs felt a little wobbly as she walked across the small deck and sat herself down next to blonde. Not so close they were touching but not too far either. If Elyza noticed her awkward movements she didn’t comment and if she had Alicia would have claimed she hadn’t found her sea legs yet. That was a thing right? She’d heard them say it in the movies. 

“So Elyza Lex how old are you?” the brunette asked. The Australian’s comment about her own age had left her curious. She knew Elyza was a little older than her but now guessed that she was old enough not to be classed as a teenager too.

“I’d google it or something if it wasn’t the apocalypse” she added; unable to resist a small dig at the blonde for the way she reacted when Alicia had asked her name the night before.

The remark drew another laugh from the Australian although this time it was less raucous and more of a low husky chuckle. The blonde turned her head in the younger woman’s direction and seemed to be taking Alicia’s appearance in as she answered.

“Twenty” Elyza replied, “You?”

 “Nearly eighteen” Alicia stated, trying to sound confident. The blonde was slightly older than Alicia had originally theorised. She’d guessed at nineteen and although she was only a year out in her estimation she wondered if it would be off putting that there was nearly a three-year age gap between them.

“So seventeen” Elyza corrected with a big grin on her face.

The brunette could feel heat rising to her cheeks again and she turned her head away from the Australian. She didn’t want Elyza to think of her as silly and young. She wasn’t really sure what she wanted yet but it certainly wasn’t to be treated like a child. The older girl must have sensed her discomfort and shifted her hand from the barrier behind Alicia’s head. The brunette felt the hand move but had no idea where it was going until Elyza’s knuckles brushed against the side of her cheek in a gentle caress.

Alicia’s breath caught in her throat as she turned back into the contact to look at the blonde again. The older girl looked apologetic but there was something else in her expression. Elyza looked fond of her. More than fond. Perhaps adoring would be a better description. Alicia wanted to capture the expression in her memory but the moment was gone as quickly as it came when Elyza dropped her hand down to her own side.

“After all that labour intensive work we should eat something hot stuff” the blonde spoke up.

Elyza shifted away from Alicia on the bench and closer to the navigational part of the boat, retrieving her bag from the floor under the wheel. The blonde wasn’t gone for long though and she shuffled back just as close as before once she’d retrieved what she needed. Alicia was handed a bottle of water and a couple of foil packs containing pain au chocolate.

“We are going to get fat on all these carbs” the brunette quipped.

She was sure Elyza had been surviving on a diet of mainly carbs for days and looked great for it but that was when she was on dry land and leaping up and down buildings. There wasn’t much space to go for a jog on a yacht.

“I’ll catch us some fish for tonight’s meal” Elyza proposed.

Alicia was curious as to where the blonde developed her sea faring talents. Yes, the older girl was doing a mechanical engineer degree but that didn’t mean she should be able to fix up a boat, drive a boat and catch food from it. She had little knowledge about Australia but she did know that Sydney was by the sea having seen images of the Sydney Opera House on TV. Perhaps Elyza’s family had a boat and that’s why she was so proficient. Considering the blonde was separated from her home it seemed cruel to bring up the topic of her family again.

“I have tins of potato and vegetables” the blonde continued; “It will be a proper meal.”

Alicia smiled at the other girl’s enthusiasm. Last night the Australian had barely known how to hold a conversation with her but their confidence around each other was increasing and they were both coming out of their shell’s. Elyza Lex was turning out to be as charming as she was tough and surprisingly sweet and kind. The blonde had been kind the evening before too and had dressed the younger girl’s wounds but it had been tempered by an awkwardness that had prevented Alicia appreciating it as much as she did now.

“Thank you" Alicia voiced her gratitude. Elyza smiled slightly in response but shook her head.

“You don’t need to thank me Alicia” the blonde countered. “I should be thanking you for risking your life to save me earlier.”

The younger woman was surprised to be thanked for what she had done because after all Elyza had acted to save her more than once already. Alicia was just repaying the favour. It did feel nice though and it made her feel appreciated.

“I mean I was about to give up on the extra gas, drop it and run but it would have been problematic for us if we’d left it behind” Elyza continued with mirth in her voice.

It hadn’t felt like the blonde was about to give up on the fuel any time soon when the events were unfolding. The Australian had been willing to risk all and allow the walkers to get very close to her. It was reckless but also very brave as they needed the fuel if they were going to get to Central America. Without it they would have had to make land earlier than planned and try to locate more fuel. They would have been in danger all over again.

“I didn’t think you had it in you just yet and I know…I know that despite the fact it’s a necessity for survival it doesn’t sit well after all is said and done” Elyza broke the silence that had slipped over them.

The blonde was acknowledging that despite her bravado this morning when talking about guns and shooting walkers that it wasn’t easy. The younger girl had seen how Elyza had tried to block out her discomfort after beating the walker with the baseball bat. The way the blonde was looking at her now suggested that she wished Alicia had never had to feel like that. Elyza wanted to protect her from the horror of the apocalypse but there was only ever going to be so much the blonde could control.

“It scared me” the younger girl replied honestly. “It didn’t scare me as much as the thought of losing you.”

Her response caught Elyza by surprise and the blonde stared at her for several lengthy seconds before nodding. They slipped into a comfortable silence as they ate and enjoyed the warm afternoon sun.

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

 

It had been an hour or so since they had eaten their late lunch and Alicia had spent that time below deck sorting through the crates of supplies. She had organised the food and cooking equipment into the kitchen area, the clothing into the bedroom and the toiletries in the bathroom. It was less obvious where other items should be stored until she found there was hidden storage under the living room benches. Under one bench she hid the spare guns and ammunition and under the other supplies such as candles and matches. It had been the least she could do considering Elyza had carried all the boxes down from the deck on her own.

It felt oddly domestic to be organising the boat into a temporary home for them. It hadn’t escaped Alicia’s notice that there was only one bed but unless they found somewhere safe to moor for the night one of them would have to remain on deck at all times. Not that Alicia currently had a clue how to steer a boat.

The brunette made her way back to the top deck of the yacht to see how Elyza was faring. The Australian was still keeping an eye on the navigation of the boat but rather than lounging around sunbathing like before the blonde was far more active. Alicia was glad the blonde was facing away from her when she reached the top of the steps because she was sure her cheeks had betrayed her yet again.

Elyza was on the floor of the deck doing press ups. She was doing press ups and she was still only wearing her shorts and bra. The blonde’s muscles flexed as she pushed up and lowered herself down. Alicia allowed herself a few moments to enjoy the view before clearing her throat to make her presence known. Elyza pushed up onto her feet instantly and turned to face the younger girl.

“Alicia” the blonde greeted her.

The younger girl had noticed that Elyza used her name a lot. Alicia had barely used the blonde’s name but Elyza seemed to drop her name in at any opportunity. It didn’t bother the brunette because her name tripped well off the Australian’s lips. It was something about the accent and the way Elyza held the ‘sh’ sound in the middle of her name. It was starting to make the brunette weak at the knees every time she heard it.

Elyza eyebrow’s crept higher when Alicia didn’t respond and the younger woman realised she was staring straight at the blonde. She cleared her throat again and stepped past the blonde to the front of the deck by the navigation equipment. The Australian followed her but stood slightly behind.  There was an amazing view across the vast waters ahead of them. It looked endless and beautiful but it was also unfamiliar to the younger woman.

“So Captain Lex are you going to show me how to steer this ship of yours?” Alicia asked the blonde flirtatiously.

 “You wanna learn?” Elyza sounded surprised.

The older girl edged forward so that she was stood right behind Alicia’s left shoulder. It was so close that the blonde’s chest pressed lightly into Alicia’s back. There was no other point of contact but they were so close that the brunette could feel the heat radiating of Elyza’s post exercise body.

“I want you to be able to go to actually sleep at some point safe in the knowledge that I know what I am doing” Alicia explained. “You don’t always have to be the one doing the protecting Elyza.”

As she spoke she turned her head to look at the blonde. She hoped by holding eye contact it would emphasise her words. The Australian seemed captivated her words and blue eyes unwaveringly held Alicia’s green until the younger woman said her name. This seemed to catch Elyza off guard and the older girl blinked a couple of times before regaining composure.

“No” the blonde agreed, “I noticed that hot stuff.”

Elyza pressed forward again, bringing their entire bodies into contact. The older girl rested her right hand on the brunette’s hip and reached her left hand round to point at the small computer screen. Alicia wondered if the blonde was trying to shift the balance of power back in her favour by the use of the flirtatious pet name. It was certainly distracting to have the older girl pressed so closely against her knowing all that was between them was a single thin vest top.

“This boat’s quite easy because it has sat nav” Elyza explained. “You can even programme it to tell you if you stray from your minimum or maximum distance from the shore line.”

The older girl’s hand moved lower and pointed to two round displays that looked like something you’d see on the dashboard of a car. As the Australian shifted position slightly her chin came to rest on Alicia’s shoulder. Alicia could feel the blonde’s hair tickling her shoulder and as Elyza spoke her warm breath ghosted across the younger girl’s jaw.

“That’s the compass, and that tells you how many knots we are doing” the blonde continued.

Alicia knew that ‘knots’ was the seafaring measurement of speed. She had no idea what a normal speed for a yacht was but they were currently going at 18 knots and they certainly were not cruising. When she had been on Strand’s boat they had been moving comfortably slower than this. Elyza was pushing to catch up with Alicia’s family just as promised. The brunette felt a surge of warmth and affection at the thought.

“What does that do?” she asked the Australian.

Rather than pointing at the small screen and buttons that had caught her attention she entwined her fingers with Elyza’s and guided both their hands in that direction. Normally she would never be so bold but the blonde was obviously happy to initiate physical contact with her. It was giving Alicia the confidence to flirt with the older girl. She was certainly enjoying their growing physicality.

“That allows you to change the cruising speed of the boat or take cruise off so you can drive it completely manually” the blonde replied.

Alicia couldn’t see the other girl but she knew from the confident tone of her voice that Elyza was enjoying showing off her knowledge about the yacht. The brunette couldn’t resist playing up to the older girl’s ego.

“What’s that?” Alicia asked coyly, guiding their entwined hands towards another round display to the far right of the others. The movement brought the blonde’s arm right across the front of Alicia’s body meaning she was nearly completely wrapped in her arms.

Elyza seemed to instantly understand that the younger girl was being cute on purpose and let out a throaty laugh. The Australian wrapped her right arm just a little bit tighter around Alicia’s waist and burrowed her nose in the brunette’s hair. Alicia loved the feeling of having the blonde so close but it was the laughter that really got to her. She loved hearing Elyza genuinely laugh. So far she had only witnessed slightly amused chuckles and one burst of amusement that had ended in a flash. This was the long drawn out laugh of someone who was actually having fun and despite the madness of the world around them Alicia was enjoying this moment too.

“And that one?” she giggled as she guided their entwined hands across to the lever situated just right of the cruise control.

Elyza shifted slightly to the left, loosening her grip of the younger girl and drawing her hand free of Alicia’s. The brunette was worried she had said something wrong or pushed the little game to far but then Elyza started keying something into the cruise control keyboard. Before Alicia realised what was going to happen the blonde grabbed the lever and pushed it forward causing the yacht to accelerate suddenly and pretty drastically despite the speed they were already carrying.

The Australian had known what was going to happen and had braced for the acceleration but Alicia had been caught unaware and had to grab onto the blonde’s arm which was wrapped around her waist to keep her balance. Elyza’s grip on her tightened again to keep her balanced and Alicia now found herself pressed firmly back against the blonde again. The sudden momentum had shocked her at first but now she felt safe in the Australian’s arms the speed thrilled her. This time it was her who broke out into laughter but it was swiftly joined by Elyza’s own husky laugh. It wasn’t just the speed that thrilled her but also being so close to the blonde. It wasn’t just a bit of fun playing on a yacht. Elyza Lex made her happy.

She wasn’t really sure what to do or how to deal with that information yet.

 

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Alicia sat at the helm of the yacht enjoying the warm sun and see breeze. Unlike Elyza she didn’t dare move away and sit on the more comfortable benches and instead sat on the chair in front of the boats steering wheel. She was fairly comfortable she knew what she was doing after their fun lesson just three hours before. It had taken the blonde some persuasion to leave her at the helm but eventually Elyza had been swayed. Just in case there was an issue the blonde had stayed on the deck just below the helm on a bench shaded by the upper deck.

Alicia had briefly left the helm to lean over the rail and check on her after an hour and be pleased to see the older girl was curled up under a thin blanket and fast asleep. Elyza had not slept as much as she had the night before and would undoubtedly insist the younger girl got the lion’s share of the sleep tonight. So Alicia was relieved that the blonde was resting now and that she had felt safe enough to sleep.

It was the first time Alicia had time to really think and reflect on the last forty-eight hours. It had all been a bit of a whirlwind. In that time period they had escaped their home to save their own lives, went to rescue Nick, Ofelia had been shot, Liza had died and they had got on a boat with a man they barely knew. Then Alicia had been separated from her family, been saved by a very attractive blonde, battled zombies and was now on a boat yet again with someone she barely knew.

Elyza was very different to Strand though. Only Nick had any real interaction with him prior to them getting on the gigantic yacht with him. He was unknown to her and she had no idea if they could or should trust him. Elyza on the other hand…well the two of them had been in each other’s company for exactly twenty-one hours now. Okay so Alicia had slept through a chunk of that time in the night but throughout the time she had been asleep she had either had hold of the blonde’s hand or had been practically cuddling her. They had survived some pretty scary situations with walkers and told each other about their nightmares. Their ‘relationship’ although currently undefined was intense. The feelings Alicia had for the older girl were intense. Every time Elyza touched her or made eye contact with her Alicia felt like she was stood in a burning building. From the looks the Australian had been casting her way Alicia was sure the blonde was feeling it too.

“How is it going ship mate?” Elyza’s husky voice rang out from behind the brunette.

Alicia jumped slightly as she hadn’t heard the other girl approaching up the steps. She shifted in the seat so she was kneeling on it and facing the back of the deck where the blonde stood. Elyza still looked sleepy and was currently stretching the kinks out of her shoulder muscles. The Australian hadn’t bothered putting her boots back on after resting and was bare foot hence her silent approach.

“You’re awake” Alicia stated. She tried not to stare at the blonde’s semi naked torso but it was hard to restrain herself when the movement of stretching just extenuated the older girl’s ‘features’ further.

“I never sleep for long” Elyza admitted. “Last night was the longest block of sleep I have had since the outbreak started.”

The Australian finished stretching and began to amble towards the helm and Alicia. The brunette mulled over Elyza’s words as she approached. It had been early morning when her nightmare had awoken her and the two of them had ended up on the mattress. Presuming Elyza had fell asleep again not long after her that meant the blonde had slept for about four hours straight. The human body was meant to function best after around eight hours’ sleep. That meant Elyza had been falling short of that by hours for days on end.

“I’m going to take us down to four knots for a bit to troll for fish if that is okay?” the blonde asked as she stepped alongside the younger girl. “Hopefully I can catch one quickly and we can get moving again.”

Alicia wasn’t sure what ‘trolling for fish’ involved other than the fact it had something to do with catching their evening meal. The idea of a proper meal was very appealing so she wasn’t about to argue with the older girl. She appreciated being asked for her consent though. It was just another example of the blonde being conscientious of her feelings and how a delay could slow their attempts at finding Alicia’s family down.

“Sure” the younger girl agreed.

Alicia was sure she knew enough about the way the controls worked to bring the yacht down to the slower speed herself but she let Elyza reach around her and sort it. It was an opportunity to have the other girl close to her again. After a few corrections on the cruise control screen the boat began to slow and the blonde was moving away again.

Alicia watched as the older girl picked up some equipment stored under one of the benches. The long thin package she swung over her shoulder was obviously a fishing rod and there was also a large plastic box with a handle. Now they were cruising really slowly Alicia thought it would be okay to leave the helm and follow Elyza especially as the blonde was climbing down to the front of the boat where they would have a good view of anything approaching in the water.

Alicia got comfortable on the raised white plastic like material that covered this part of the yacht. It was the perfect place to catch some sun and only a little distance away from the blonde who was sat to the side of her. Elyza had her legs through the rail of the boat so they were dangling over the side. After some fiddling with the poles that made up the rod and the addition of some bait from the box the older girl cast the fishing rod into the ocean. It didn’t take the blonde very long to do at all and she seemed as dab a hand at fishing as she was sailing.

“Where did you learn all this stuff?” Alicia finally asked the other girl.

She had resisted asking so far in fear of making the blonde sad. The brief silence and stillness from Elyza after the question was asked made Alicia wish she had stayed with that original plan. She was relieved when the blonde suddenly broke the awkward silence with an answer.

“My dad owns a boat repair business in Sydney” Elzya explained. “I used to help him in the work shop whenever I had spare time.”

Alicia expected that to be the end of the reply. She was pleased to have any response from the blonde especially as Elyza’s family was obviously going to be a tender topic. So when the Australian turned her head to look at Alicia and began to expand on that answer the younger girl was entranced.

“Every weekend we would go out on trips in his boat. Sometimes we’d go right out to sea and fish or sometimes we’d stay near shore. You see you get different types of fish accumulating near the coast than you do at deep sea. Then some weekends we’d sail down to the National Park or go watch the whales migrate in the summer. We used to go into the harbour for the Sydney Boat Festival and from there you have the most amazing view of the Opera House…”

As Elyza spoke she became more and more animated. At first she held the rod in one hand and between her bent knees but as she reached the part about their weekends on the boat it was only her knees holding the rod in place. It was the most Alicia had heard the blonde say in one go and she was totally captivated by the way Elyza’s eyes lit up and her hands moved. The Australian seemed to realise she was babbling and visibly blushed as her voice trailed off.

Alicia only found that more endearing especially when the older girl’s eyes flickered down towards the deck’s floor with embarrassment. The brunette couldn’t supress a wide grin which Elyza spotted. It only made the other girl blush more.

 “What?” the blonde asked a little self-consciously.

Alicia knew that the Australian was beginning to open up more as the trust between them grew. The last thing she wanted to do was make the older girl creep back behind her mask of stoicism again. The most obvious way to avoid that was to share something about her own life too. She just wished the topic of her father led to as happy a mental space as Elyza’s had.

“Me and my dad used to go climbing some weekends but then…” Alicia took a deep steadying breath before continuing. “Then he died and it was just me, Nick and mom for ages. Nick is…was…is…a drug addict so a lot of her time got ate up trying to keep him on the straight and narrow. Now there is Travis, her boyfriend, who I resented before all of this but a Zombie apocalypse puts things into perspective.”

Alicia took a moment to catch her breath. She hadn’t been looking at the blonde at all as she spoke but when she glanced up at the older girl now she found curious bright blue eyes intently focused on her. Elyza reached her left hand out and ran her fingertips over the brunette’s knuckles, her eyes urging Alicia to continue. The younger girl was a little bit nervous about finishing of her thought train because she wasn’t just talking about her mom and Travis but also about Elyza and herself. She took another deep steadying breath and ploughed on.

“Life can be short so if something makes you happy then you should grab onto it with both hands and not let go” she concluded.

As she spoke she had kept her eyes fixed firmly on the hand that the Australian was soothing her with. When she let her gaze fall upon the blonde again Elyza was looking at her with such intensity that she felt her own cheeks begin to warm considerably. There was an unfamiliar fluttering in her chest as she held the blonde’s gaze. Alicia wasn’t looking away of her own accord and neither was Elyza but in the end it was an outside influence that cut short the moment.

The rod wedged between the Australian’s knee’s moved forward dramatically. If it hadn’t been for Elyza’s super-fast reactions, then they would have probably lost it over the side of the boat but luckily she managed to grasp it with both hands. The blonde sprung to her feet and began to try and wind the line in but it was proving difficult.

“Shit! I think we have dinner!” Elyza exclaimed as she anchored one foot against the rail of the boat.

After initial resistance the line began to retract. Alicia sat up and watched with a mixture of pleasure and amusement at the scene in front of her. The blonde was straining against the rod which meant the younger woman had a fine view of her muscles in action but it also seemed a bit ridiculous that a fish could be causing that much of an issue. Alicia was half expecting her to pull a bit of debris out of the water instead but when the end of the line finally popped out of the water it did indeed have a fish at the end of it. It was no wonder Elyza had struggled because the silver coloured fish was literally the size of a small dog.

“What the hell is that monster?” the brunette sputtered.

“It’s a tuna fish Alicia!” the older girl beamed. The Australian seemed pleased by her catch and held it out towards Alicia.

The brunette had never seen an actual tuna fish before and had no idea that they could be so big. Normally it just came mushed up in a tin but Travis had cooked tuna steaks for them once and she remembered them being really tasty. As pleased as she was about getting to eat a proper meal Alicia had no desire to see the fish up close and personal and put her hands up to keep it well away from her.

“It’s fucking huge!” the younger girl exclaimed. “Please tell me you are going to gut it on deck and not in the kitchen because that thing is going to have A LOT of smelly guts.”

She had already spent the night in a room that had a prevailing smell of fish guts. The candles had masked the worse of the smell but it had still hung in the air. She didn’t fancy having to spend a second night surrounded by the smell when she slept below decks. At least out on the front of the boat the ocean breeze would waft the smell away.

“Whatever you command hot stuff!” the blonde laughed.

As soon as Alicia saw the Australian extract a thin, slightly curved knife, out of the box of fishing equipment she made a beeline back to the upper deck. She could hear the blonde laughing behind her as she made her rapid escape.

 

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The early evening air was starting to cool rapidly and Alicia was starting to shiver. Elyza had been below deck for a while cooking their meal and the younger girl was starting to feel hungry. So much so that her stomach had been growling in protest for the past fifteen minutes. As if on cue the blonde stepped onto the deck balancing two plates in her hands and a grey and black jumper slung over her shoulder. Elyza was more dressed than earlier and was now wearing a blue hooded jumper. As the older girl got closer Alicia could read the writing on the front of the clothing. It read, ‘anyone can be cool but awesome takes practice’. Alicia thought the hoodie suited the blonde perfectly.

“I found you a hoodie to wear” Elyza informed her, “It’s getting chilly out here.”

“Thank you” the younger girl replied earnestly. She was touched by how thoughtful the Australian was.

Alicia moved to the bench closest to the helm of the yacht were they had sat together earlier and the blonde placed the plates down just next to her. The hoodie Elyza handed her was mainly light grey with black arms and a black hood. It was a thick cotton and as she slipped it over her neck and down her body she noticed it had a very soft inner lining. It was extremely comfortable and she wrapped her arms around herself, cuddling the material closer as she warmed up again.

The blonde picked up one of the meals and handed it to Alicia. There was a knife and fork already balancing on the side of the plate. The meal consisted of two tuna steaks, boiled potatoes and a mix of peas and sweetcorn. Pre zombie apocalypse she’d have probably turned her nose up at the tinned vegetables but now it was pretty much a gourmet meal.

“This looks good” Alicia praised the blonde’s efforts.

Elyza smiled broadly at the compliment and began to tuck into her own food. The brunette allowed herself several sneaky glances at the older girl as they ate. Elyza was totally focused on her meal and barely stopped for air as she ate. It meant there was no conversation on the menu but Alicia didn’t mind. It was nice to be just sat enjoying a meal with the blonde. She wished there was a little more noise though. Everything was really still and for a city girl it felt very foreign.  

Elyza didn’t seem to notice any of the glances until she finished eating and placed the empty plate between them. This turned her head into Alicia’s eye line and made it obvious she had been watching her.

“You okay?” Eliza asked, smirking slightly as she spoke.

“It’s so beautiful out here but it’s so quiet” Alicia admitted. “I’m used to a bit more background noise.”

The blonde regarded her for a moment with an unreadable look on her face. It suddenly morphed into a huge grin and Elyza jumped to her feet.

“Wait here” the older girl instructed as she dashed off down the steps to the lower deck.

Alicia was still eating so wasn’t planning on moving anywhere. She was baffled by Elyza’s reaction but all was obviously about to be revealed so she continued eating. By the time the Australian returned Alicia had finished her foot and placed her plate on top of Elyza’s empty one.

The blonde reappeared carrying a small portable CD player. It looked like a mini boom box. It was a far cry from Alicia’s I-phone but sadly that was still on Strand’s ‘Abagail’. Elyza seemed very pleased with herself though and that brought a smile to the younger woman’s face too. Like the hoodie, it was another example of how thoughtful the blonde was especially when it came to her. Elyza was so extra for someone who had originally come across as a zombie killing badass.

“I found it when I was repairing the boat” Elyza explained as she placed it down on the bench next to them. “We can’t have it on too much or we’ll waste batteries but a song or two every now and then can’t hurt.”

The Australian found the power button and the buttons and dials on the device lit up blue. The older girl seemed to know what was on the CD already and moved it along to number 6 before pressing play. The song that began to blare out sounded old and Alicia didn’t recognise it. She must have looked as bewildered as she felt because the blonde began to laugh.

“It’s a classic hot stuff” Elyza chided her.

“I have no idea what this is!” the brunette admitted as a male voice began singing. His voice sounded familiar but she still couldn’t place it.

_Let's dance put on your red shoes and dance the blues Let's dance to the song they're playin' on the radio_

“It’s David Bowie!” the older girl exclaimed. “Damn girl you need some educating!”

_Let's sway, while color lights up your face Let's sway, sway through the crowd to an empty space_

Alicia did know who David Bowie was but she could only recall a song about a space man or something along those lines. The song playing seemed catchy enough though and she found herself nodding her head along to it.

Then Elyza was stood right in front of her and offering a hand. The younger girl couldn’t believe that the blonde was asking her to dance but she was quick to regain composure and clasp the hand. Matt had hated dancing and would run to the hills at the very idea of it. Alicia had always enjoyed dancing with her friends but the idea of dancing with someone you were really attracted to was nerve wracking.  As soon as she was on her feet Elyza spun her around with a face splitting grin on her face. Alicia was instantly put at ease again. _If you say run, I'll run with you If you say hide, we'll hide Because my love for you Would break my heart in two If you should fall Into my arms And tremble like a flower_ _Let's dance for fear your grace should fall Let's dance for fear tonight is all_  


They continued to move around each other and spin each other around throughout the chorus and the next verse. Despite not previously knowing the song Alicia approved of the choice. It was lively and fun but she also hoped it had been chosen for its lyrics. Perhaps she was being naïve and romantic but they felt fitting to her and she had her fingers crossed that the blonde felt exactly the same.

_Let's sway you could look into my eyes Let's sway under the moonlight, this serious moonlight_

_If you say run, I'll run with you If you say hide, we'll hide Because my love for you Would break my heart in two If you should fall Into my arms And tremble like a flower_

Throughout the chorus they had crept closer and closer until Alicia had dared looping her arms around the Australian’s neck. Elyza’s hands found their way to her hips and pressed their foreheads together as they swayed to the music. It reminded Alicia of the near kiss in the bus stop earlier in the day and her eyes automatically crept down to the blonde’s lips. She had no idea who started moving first but they were slowly angling their mouths towards the other.

It was the blonde who took the final step. Elyza’s lips brushed delicately against her lower lip and lingered there. The brunette felt like all the breath had been pulled out of her lungs. The sensation of the other girl’s smooth lips and her warm breath caressing her mouth had Alicia’s head in a spin and she didn’t initially react. Elyza started to pull away which kick-started the younger girl’s brain into action.

She followed the Australian’s lips until she regained contact with them and buried her hands into thick blonde hair. The kiss was a little firmer this time but it was still slow, the two of them content to lazily move their mouths against the other. It was undemanding and sweet but there was something bubbling below the surface. Alicia was about to deepen the kiss when the blonde did the opposite and pulled back. Elyza pressed their foreheads back together and took a deep steadying breath.  

Alicia was curious as to why the blonde had stopped kissing her especially as she had been responding positively to the kiss. She didn’t want to push Elyza though and ruin the moment so she relaxed into the contact. They stayed like that until the song finished.

“I should go clean the dishes” Elyza murmured.

The blonde pulled back and the younger girl could instantly see that she was blushing but smiling.

“I’ll go” Alicia offered. “You caught it and cooked it so it’s only fair if I clean.”

The younger girl picked up the plates and headed down the steps to the kitchen below deck. She was glad of the opportunity to take a moment to herself after the kiss. It had left her head spinning and her mouth dry. She had wanted it to go further. She had wanted to fall into Elyza’s arms and let the world fade away around them. Yet Elyza had pulled back and Alicia wasn’t sure what that meant.

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

 

Elyza had obviously cleaned up around herself as she cooked which left Alicia little to do. The clean-up had taken five minutes at the most so she had sat down on one of the comfortable sofa style benches and tackled one of the crosswords from the blonde’s puzzle books.  She had hoped that it would distract her from her tumultuous thoughts about the Australian and that kiss. At first it was proving unsuccessful but once she really tried to focus it had taken her mind off it. The last thing she remembered was mulling over the clue ‘hard to fluster’.

The next thing, Alicia was waking up on the very same sofa bench but the light had been switched off and she was covered by an open sleeping bag. Elyza had obviously come down to check on her at some point and found her asleep. The brunette wondered how long she’d been out for the count because she felt well rested. She squinted at her watch in the dark and could just about make out the time. It was nearly two in the morning which meant she had been asleep for around eight hours.

As soon as Alicia realised the time she felt extremely guilty. Elyza had only caught up with a couple of hours sleep in the afternoon and would probably be exhausted after being on deck for eight hours. Even worse than that it could look like Alicia had done it on purpose to avoid the blonde after their kiss. She’d only planned on taking twenty minutes to herself to catch her breath and allow the older girl to settle. What must Elyza have thought when she came down to find her asleep?

Alicia clambered up of the bench and stretched her arms out to the side. Her back muscles cracked and strained as she tried to iron out some of the kinks. She really must have been tired to have slept so long on the bench, because as comfortable as it was to sit on it really wasn’t up to the standards of a bed. Once Alicia had finished stretching she picked up the sleeping bag and wrapped it around her shoulders. It was quite cold now even below deck so she took it up with her as she clambered up the stairs.

The brunette felt her nerves creeping up as she quietly made her way towards the top deck where the helm was located. She had no idea why the Australian had pulled out of the kiss. Well that wasn’t true, she had lots of ideas but no concrete answers. Had the blonde just got caught up in the moment and then regretted it? Did Elyza think it was too soon or did she not share Alicia’s feelings? Was it something to do with the horrible story about the ex-girlfriend that the blonde had shared with her? All these thoughts swirled around Alicia’s head until Elyza came into sight.

The blonde was sat, cocooned in her sleeping bag, at the helm of the yacht. The chair was swivelled sideways so Elyza’a profile was on view. The artificial light on deck gave her a blue hue but she was still utterly beautiful. She was also completely lost in thought and didn’t hear Alicia’s approach until the younger girl was stood right in front of her. As her shadow cast over the blonde, Elyza’s chin shot up and their eyes met.

“Hey” the blonde greeted. Alicia instantly noticed that the older girl had heavy eyelids. She looked tired and reflective and a little bit sad. 

“Hey, I fell asleep, I’m sorry” she apologised, “you shouldn’t have left me for so long.”

Elyza smiled warmly at her but there was still a hint of sadness behind the Australian’s eyes.

“You were out for the count so you obviously needed it” the blonde objected.

Alicia reached out and picked up the blondes left hand, entwining their fingers together. She kept her grasp lose so she could trace patterns against the inside of Elyza’s palm. The blonde closed her eyes and relaxed into the contact as Alicia drew random shapes with her thumb. As she continued the shapes became letters and she traced her own name into the older girl’s hand. Elyza smiled a little at this but remained silent. She had retreated back to her stoicism of the night prior but Alicia was determined to draw her back out again.

 “Talk to me” the younger girl pleaded softly. It wasn’t very tactful but that had never been one of Alicia’s strong points. She had always found it easier to be direct with people even if she risked causing offence.

“You pulled away earlier and I need to understand why” Alicia pushed.

The blonde looked at her, confusion clouding her features, and blinked several times in quick succession. Alicia grasped the older girls hand a little harder as she waited for a response.

“I know you have just lost your boyfriend and I don’t want you to feel pushed…” Elyza slowly admitted. “ **I** don’t want to push you.”

Alicia’s heart soared at the revelation. She had feared the Australian regretted the kiss because the older girl didn’t want her like that. She hadn’t thought that the blonde had pulled out the kiss for fear of rushing her. It was thoughtful and sweet…and misguided. Part of Alicia wanted to push down her feelings for a little while longer and actually mourn the loss of someone who had been important to her. Most of her just wanted Elyza Lex to hold her and never let go. The world had gone mad and every moment was precious. Alicia didn’t want to one-day regret wasting valuable seconds with the blonde because she had spent too long looking back.

Alicia released the other girls hand and reached out to brush a stray strand of blonde hair which had fallen over her eyes. She tucked the strand behind Elyza’s right ear, letting the tips of her fingers linger there, before slowly moving them down to trace the older girls jaw line. The blonde’s eyes fluttered closed again and she let out a small gasp of pleasure. Alicia felt a spread of warmth across her body at the sound.

She wanted to be even closer to the blonde and on instinct pressed forward, sitting across the older girl’s lap. Elyza was still cocooned in her sleeping bag from just under her breasts and down so she made for a comfortable seat.

The Australian was caught off guard at first but quickly recovered and wrapped her arms around Alicia’s back. The brunette lent into the hug completely and buried her face in the other girl’s neck. Her hands laced into the blonde’s hair as she inhaled deeply. Elyza smelled of the sea breeze and the berry shampoo from below deck.  The older girl traced circles on her back with one hand and with the other she adjusted the sleeping bag around Alicia’s shoulders so it covered her better from the cool night air. It was the little gestures like that which made the younger girl fall harder and harder.

 “I really like you” Alicia whispered against the blonde’s ear.

It felt like a complete understatement to her. She’d ‘liked’ people before because they were attractive or funny but no one had ever made her heart race or head spin like Elyza Lex. No one had ever made her feel so dizzy. It felt like Elyza was like another planet pulling her out of orbit and Alicia liked this new orbit better. She wasn’t a romantic person. Alicia would probably count herself as a cynic, an attitude no doubt amplified by their apocalyptic surroundings. So the younger girl wasn’t about to start spilling out words like ‘love’. It did feel like she was falling into something deep though.

“Me too” the blonde admitted.

Elyza slowly ran the tip of her nose from the younger girl’s shoulder, up the column of her neck and over her jaw. The blonde lingered at her cheek and Alicia could feel the quickened rate of the older girls breathing against her cheek. They were pressed so close together. The few times they had been this close Alicia had been reactionary and waited on Elyza to do something. Now they had both admitting to having feelings she was more confident about making the moves herself.

Alicia used the hands interlaced in blonde hair to draw the older girls face up and back. As soon as their eyes met Alicia broke out into a smile. Elyza’s glossy blue eyes were sleepy and dazed but also full of affection. The younger girl could see that the blonde was close to exhaustion and was ready to relieve her at the helm for a while. She just wanted to enjoy a few more minutes together first so she could bask in the moment a while longer.

Elyza seemed to have the same idea and the blonde slowly leant in, angling her mouth up towards Alicia’s. It wasn’t hesitant but it was clear Elyza was still giving her time to pull out. The last thing Alicia wanted to do was pull back though and she simultaneously leant into the contact and pulled the older girl against her. Unlike earlier when the kiss had come as a surprise to her Alicia instantly moved her lips against the blondes. The kiss was slow and gentle, matching the older girl’s sleepy state. Alicia captured Elyza’s lower lip between her own and sucked on it lightly before releasing it. The Australian gasped against her mouth and brought her hands up to cup both of Alicia’s cheeks.

Those hands drew Alicia forward again and Elyza ran the tip of her tongue against the younger girl’s top lip, teasing it up to give her access. Alicia was all too happy to oblige and opened her mouth up to the blonde’s explorations. Elyza took her time, languidly mapping out Alicia’s mouth, but returning time and time again to the areas that made the younger girl lightly moan as she stroked her tongue over them. Alicia had never been kissed like that before. It left her totally pliant in the other girl’s hands as she clung onto the back of the blonde’s head and let the sensations wash over her.

Alicia felt like her world was spinning when Elyza eventually pulled out of the kiss and buried her face back in the brunette’s shoulder. She couldn’t decide if it was through lack of oxygen or if the Australian was just that good. It didn’t help the dizzy sensation when Elyza started pressing soft kisses against the column of her neck. They were affectionate kisses and not designed to lead any further but Alicia’s neck was particularly sensitive there so they were having more of an effect then she imagined Elyza was intending. When one was pressed against her pulse point her head tilted back of its own accord to give the blonde more access and a loud moan slipped out.

The older girl let out a deep noise that sounded an awful lot like a growl. She kissed the pulse point one more time before shifting upwards and bringing their foreheads together. They were close enough to feel each other’s accelerated breathing against their own mouths and as they stayed that way Alicia could the rhythm gradually slow together. Once her heart rate had returned to something like normal she pulled back to look at the blonde. As soon as they made eye contact Elyza grinned broadly despite her sleepy state.

“You look exhausted honey” Alicia informed her. The use of a pet name was accidental but the blonde didn’t react or seem to mind at all.

“Why don’t you try and sleep for a few hours below deck and I’ll stay up here” the younger girl suggested.

Keeping an eye on the navigation couldn’t be all that different at night especially as they were taking it slower in the dark. They were only going half the speed they had during day time hours. Alicia was hopeful that her family had moored up somewhere over night as she couldn’t see Strand letting anyone else drive his damn boat. If that was the case, they would be catching them quite rapidly despite the slower pace.

“I don’t want to go too far in case you need me” Elyza admitted. “Maybe I’ll just curl up on the bench and sleep for a bit.”

Alicia was tempted to tell her that she would be fine and shoo the blonde away. On the other hand, if there was more risk of them running into danger then perhaps Elzya should stay close. If Alicia was being totally honest though she found the idea of being on deck alone surrounded by endless dark a little eerie. Having the blonde sleeping only a small distance away would certainly make her feel safer.

“Okay” she agreed, climbing off the Australian as she spoke.

Elyza got to her feet too and pecker her lightly on the lips before shuffling over in her sleeping bag to the bench they had sat together on earlier. Alicia sat and watched as the blonde made herself comfortable on the bench. Within seconds of her closing her eyes he older girl’s breathing began to slow.

 

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It had been over two hours since Elyza had gone out like a light. Alicia had been sat quietly alternating from watching the navigation equipment to watching the beautiful Australian as she slept. She had looked so peaceful for a great deal of that time: young and relaxed. Blonde hair cascaded over her shoulders and covered part of her face from view. The sleeping bag was pulled right up to her chin with one hand clinging to the top of the bag just below her chin. The other arm was tucked under her head acting as a pillow.

Alicia should be bored. She had literally sat still for two hours in the middle of the night doing nothing. Except watching the older girl had been captivating enough to keep her entertained.

Alicia was not only watching the blonde but also thinking about her. She was curious what they would do when they found her family. How would Elyza fit in and what would her family make of the Australian and their relationship? She hoped the two of them would stay on this boat and sail with her family wherever they were going. That way the two of them could have a little privacy. She certainly didn’t intend to hide how she felt about Elyza from her family or she’d have to contend with Nick flirting at the gorgeous blonde. It didn’t matter if the Australian wasn’t interested, it would still make Alicia’s stomach turn in knots.

During the day Alicia had barely noticed the noise of the yachts engine but in the still and silent night waters the hum was quite distinct. It had become her constant companion over the couple of long hours so when another sound overpowered it even slightly it quickly brought Alicia’s attention back to the present. Elyza was stirring in her sleep.

It started as a soft whimpering and it wasn’t clear to Alicia if it was part of a good dream or a bad dream. Then the whimpers increased in volume to the point where they sounded quite panicked and the blonde started moving about violently on the bench. The younger girl wasn’t sure what to do as she was aware that you shouldn’t really try to physically wake someone from a nightmare and certainly not without risking a black eye. The problem was that Elyza was likely to only get worse because the sleeping bag was partially restraining her and if that somehow made it into the nightmare then it would panic her more without a doubt. There was also a high risk of the blonde toppling off the bench and onto the hard wooden deck of the boat.

Alicia shook off the sleeping bag, climbing to her feet and approaching the Australian carefully. She was moving about more violently in her sleep and it was really worrying the younger girl. There seemed to be words as well as whimpers now but it was hard to make out what she was saying. She was sure she picked out the words ‘no’ and ‘please’ a couple of times.

“Hey Elyza” she called out softly, trying to stir her. It had no effect so the brunette called out again a little louder.

On the second attempt the blonde was shocked awake and sat bolt upright on the bench. The speed she shot up nearly toppled her off the bench and Alicia had to lurch forward and grab her shoulders to prevent it happening. Elyza panicked and grabbed the front of the hoodie pulling Alicia forward and into her. For one horrible moment the younger girl thought she was about to experience the blonde’s impressive muscles in action but luckily Elyza woke up enough to realise it was her.

The blonde didn’t release her but pulled her onto the bench with her. Alicia scrambled onto the bench and ended up sat straddling the older girl’s hips. Warm arms wrapped around her and Elyza tucked her head into the brunette’s shoulder.  Alicia was surprised to find that the Australian was shaking, her breathing extremely ragged. She tried to sooth the other girl by combing her fingers through her silky hair.

“I’m sorry I…I had a nightmare” the blonde stuttered as she caught her breath.

Elyza released her hold of the younger girl and brought her head up so they were level. Her blue eyes looked wild as they darted all around Alicia’s face. The younger girl brought her hand around to the blonde’s cheek and caressed the smooth skin there with the back of her fingers.

“Was it the nightmare you told me about last night?” she asked.

Elyza shuck her head vigorously in response.

“No” the blonde began to explain. “No in this nightmare we were running from walkers and then one grabbed you and pulled you into the water by the pier. I couldn’t save you. I couldn’t…”

The older girl was obviously still distressed by the dream so Alicia cupped both of her cheeks between her hands. She hoped the touch and the eye contact would ground the blonde in the present. Elyza’s touch had grounded her the night before and they had known each other a lot less then. 

“Hey it’s okay” Alicia soothed, “I’m right here.”

Her words made the blonde still. Elyza’s eyes bore into her own with an expression that Alicia couldn’t interpret. Hands that had previously been grasping the back of Alicia’s hoodie slid up her back and behind her neck, drawing her forward sharply and into a firm kiss. She melted into the contact instantly. Elyza’s mouth felt desperate against her own and Alicia struggled to keep up with the sheer need the blonde was emanating. Every few seconds Elyza would pull away to change the angle and then kiss her just as firmly as before. It was pulling all the air out of the younger girl’s chest but she wasn’t about to complain. If the Australian was really that perturbed by the idea of losing her then it really did feel like they were on the same page.

Then suddenly Elyza was pulling out of the kiss and they were left nose to nose and gasping for oxygen. The older girl’s eyes were slammed closed, her chest heaving and her lips swollen from the kiss. After a couple of seconds catching her breath, the young brunette lent in to reconnect with those soft lips but Elyza pulled back again. Alicia gazed into the blonde’s blue eyes and she could see concern laced there.

“Sorry I didn’t mean to be that…vigorous” the Australian apologized. 

Alicia found it touching that the blonde was trying to be careful and respectful towards her. She didn’t think the three-year age gap was that big but she suspected it was one of the reasons Elyza was treating her like porcelain. She didn’t want to be treated like she might break though. She liked the way the blonde had just kissed her. It was full of the fire that had made Elyza Lex so fascinating in the first place.

 “I don’t want you to stop” Alicia pleaded. “I want you to kiss me until my lungs burn.”

The look that flashed across the Australians face could be described as primal but Alicia didn’t have time to reflect on it before the blonde’s lips crashed against her own again. The brunette instantly opened her mouth to the kiss and their tongues stroked across each other. Alicia moaned into the kiss which only encouraged the blonde more.

Elyza’s hands roamed down her back and slipped under the hoodie, sliding between the two layers of clothing. The vest top was only thin and Alicia could feel the heat of the older girl’s palms through it. Her whole body arched forward in response, pressing their upper bodies together firmly. Alicia could feel the blonde’s ample breasts pressed against her own, turning her on further. Then Elyza let out a moan at the contact.

“Oh god” she growled between hot kisses.

The brunette grasped the bottom of Elyza’s hoodie and vest top and started to try and tug them up. Alicia had never had sex with another woman before but the idea didn’t scare her in the slightest. She was a teenager, she knew how to play her own body, so she was sure she could transpose it across to somebody else’s. Elyza stopped kissing her and pulled back so she could see the younger girls face.

“Alicia?” Elyza questioned.

“Off” the younger girl instructed. “I want to feel you.”

The blonde smirked and nodded, grabbing the hem of the hoodie too and helping pull both layers up and over her shoulders. They were discarded on the deck to the side of the bench.

Elyza lent in to kiss her again and Alicia responded eagerly. Rather than lacing her hands in the blonde’s hair like she had done previously, Alicia brought her hands around to the front of the older girl and cupped her breasts through the bra. Elyza arched forward into her exploring hands and moaned. Alicia could feel the blonde’s nipples hardening through the fabric but she wanted more. She reached around to the back of the strap and unclasped it.

She didn’t witness the moment it fell away and to the floor because the older girl was busy pulling Alicia’s own hoodie and vest top over her head. Once the clothing was removed she pushed the blonde back by her shoulders, lying her back on the bench. The view was spectacular. Elyza’s skin was smooth and pale like porcelain and she had ridiculously perfect breasts. Her pink nipples were swollen and hard, a pleasing sign of the effect Alicia was having on her.

The younger girl reached down and palmed both breasts. She marvelled in the fact they were large enough for them to not fit in her hands. When she turned her focus to tracing the outline of the blonde’s nipples with her thumb Elyza grasped at the material of the sleeping bag and slammed her eyes shut. The older girl seemed to be sensitive there so Alicia lowered herself down against the blonde’s body and replaced her thumb on the right breast with her mouth. At first she just continued what her hands had been doing and flicked her tongue around and then across the nipple but as she became braver she sucked it between her lips and teeth and tugged slightly.

Elyza’s hips rolled up against her, a response she enjoyed immensely. So she switched breasts and repeated the actions. It gained yet another roll of the hips and a moan that held so much arousal it could have jumped a film rating up to 18 all on its own. It sent a jolt of heat straight through Alicia’s body and she knew she wanted more of the blonde.

Elyza made an attempt to open the sleeping bag but only managed to unzip it as far as Alicia’s thighs before giving up. The younger girl clambered to her feet so she could open it up the rest of the way. Once it was totally unzipped she shed her own bra. Elyza sat up and grasped the younger girl by the belt loops of her shorts, tugging her back onto the bench. Alicia straddled the blonde again and wrapped her arms around the other girls back. She couldn’t think of a better feeling than the sensation of her skin pressed against the older girls. Their lips found each other’s again in a heated kiss.

Alicia was so wet it was becoming uncomfortable. She tried to relieve some of the pressure by rotating her hips against the blonde’s. The younger girl reached down between their bodies, sliding her hands beneath the band of Elyza’s shorts. She settled them on the other girl’s hips and dug her nails in. The blonde gasped and pulled back from the kiss. Alicia’s hands froze in place as she gazed at the Australian.

“You okay?” the blonde asked.

She wanted Elyza badly but nerves were starting to set in. She didn’t want to disappoint the older girl with her lack of experience. She got the impression the blonde knew exactly what she was doing.

“Yeah I’ve just never done this before” Alicia admitted. “I don’t want it to be bad.”

Elyza grinned broadly but before Alicia could ask why she was smiling the blonde flipped them around so Alicia was on her back with the blonde hovering over her. It happened so quickly that the younger girl let out a high pitched squeak. Elyza’s blonde hair was hanging down, framing them both and tickling at Alicia’s cheeks. The other girl reached down and undid the button clasp of Alicia’s shorts. She then grasped the zipper but left her hand lingering there.

“Can I?” the blonde asked.

Alicia nodded and raised her hips of the bench, allowing the older girl to pull down the shorts and underwear in one go. Once they had been shed Alycia looked up at the blonde expectantly. Elyza smiled in response and laced their hands together. The contact was familiar and comforting. As Elyza’s mouth descended down her body to her most sensitive parts she grasped at the older girl’s hands for dear life; desperate to draw the moment out.

 


End file.
